New England Patriots: 3 new additions who will exceed expectations

The New England Patriots chose to attack their issues at several offensive skill positions by spending a ton of money in the offseason, which is not usually how a more miserly front office like the one led by Bill Belichick builds his team.

The Patriots added a whole new group of receivers in addition to some defensive depth pieces. While their first-round pick in Alabama quarterback Mac Jones may not see a ton of playing time, but that doesn’t mean some of his draft picks on that side of the ball will be rooted to the bench as rookies.

New England needs to hope that some of these additions not only live up to what the back of their trading cards say they are, but they need to bank on a few of them exceeding expectations, as that will be the secret ingredient that turns things around.

These three players may have somewhat reasonable expectations this year, but they could exceed what Belichick expects if they really jive with what New England does from a schematic point of view.

These 3 new Patriots could exceed expectations in 2021.

3. WR Nelson Agholor

Agholor is the most likely candidate to assume WR1 duties in New England, as the retirement of Julian Edelman and the lack of quality talent next to him has the former Eagles and Raiders target primed for success. Afrer all, last year, he emerged as a quality deep threat for Derek Carr on a Las Vegas team that finally started to unlock him.

Agholor needed a fresh start after a subpar time in Philadelphia, and the Raiders were able to use his speed to make him a field-stretcher. New England’s biggest issue last year was a lack of verticality, as anyone with the speed to make big plays downfield didn’t check all of the boxes that an NFL deep threat must have.

Nelson Agholor could take off with the Patriots.

Agholor had a career-high in receiving yards with Vegas, and there is reason to believe that his stats under Jon Gruden could improve with Belichick. While last year wasn’t the best example, McDaniels’ offense has often been able to turn receivers with average athletic ability into some of the best wideouts in the game.

Agholor has the skill to line up as an X receiver on the boundary while being able to move inside to the slot. His reputation as someone with hands of stone earned in Philadelphia isn’t completely true considering how harsh Eagles fans were on him, and New England’s offense could help confirm that last year wasn’t a fluke.

2. DE Ronnie Perkins

Perkins slipped to the late third round despite a college career at Oklahoma that had him ranked among the best defensive players in college football. He almost tallied a sack a game during his final season in Norman, as his blend of speed and power makes for a really jaw-dropping prospect for Belichick.

Matthew Judon is going to take over one of the pass rush spots, but Chase Winovich is by no means a lock to take over all of the snaps. The combination of Winovich and Perkins on the outside could be so lethal that it would prevent Judon from getting double-teamed on the opposite end.

Ronnie Perkins could be a star pass rusher for the Patriots in Year 1.

Perkins really turned a corner when Oklahoma turned him loose as a down lineman last year, and Belichick will help Perkins end up in the best spot to succeed as a rookie. Leaving him wasting away on the bench isn’t going to help him develop.

Look for Perkins to grow from a situational pass rush role as a rookie into a starter role potentially before the end of the season. With his ability to disengage from blocks and fill gaps in run defense, he is a complete defensive end, and the Patriots can make other teams rue the day they passed on him.

1. TE Jonnu Smith

New England is going all-in on a return to their two tight end offense, as the additions of Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry will change the shape of this offensive attack. Henry might be a more traditional tight end, but Smith has the potential to be the chess piece that really makes this offense take the next step.

Smith is a smaller tight end, but his explosion, raw speed, and ability as a ball carrier could help the Patriots. With Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene failing to really make their presence known over the course of their rookie year, Smith would be a massive upgrade instantly.

Jonnu Smith could be a weapon for the New England Patriots.

Smith started to tail off production-wise towards the end of his career in Tennessee, but in the early parts of the 2020 season, he was one of the best tight ends in the game, and he will no longer be buried on the depth chart as the fourth option in an offense that leaned on the ground game more often than they did the passing game.

Smith and Henry will be Cam Newton’s two most targeted players next year, as the combination of Henry’s ability to make catches over the middle and Smith’s athleticism will be too hellacious for teams to overcome.

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