Patriots: 4 players who can be the No. 1 option on offense in 2021
By Jared Koch
Hunter Henry/Jonnu Smith
While there were some big splashes in the 2021 offseason for the New England Patriots, none were bigger than the two huge additions at tight end: Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.
Both of these new acquisitions at tight end have the potential to make a big time impact for the Patriots in 2021. While it’s not obvious to which of these two will have the more prominent role in the offense for 2021, they’re both great weapons for Cam Newton at the tight end position that he was lacking last year…to say the least.
Looks like Hunter Henry will wear No. 85 with the Patriots. Devin Asiasi has his usual No. 86. pic.twitter.com/ALejFywJQf
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) May 21, 2021
In the 2020-21 season, the Patriots’ tight ends combined for a total of 154 yards on the year. Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry combined for a total of 1,061 yards. That is a big-time positional upgrade that the Patriots desperately needed.
In years past, the Patriots had some of their best offensive success when they had two elite players at the tight end position: Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. While neither of these new additions are close to the talent level of Gronk, they may be able to provide a similar role.
Cam Newton’s success in Carolina also plays a big part in seeing the potential of this group for 2021. Cam always had a big time threat at the tight end position with Greg Olsen. Now, while he may not have Olsen in New England, Smith and Henry could both play a huge role in the success of both the bounce-back QB and the Patriots in 2021.
This scenario is the most likely, and probably the best option when looking at the potential No. 1 options for 2021. Seeing how much the Patriots valued the tight end position in the 2010s, it only makes sense for them to revert back to this system for next season after making these expensive new additions.
