When it comes to preseason power rankings in the NFL, it's difficult to put too much stock in them. Powerhouses like the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are going to start at the top more often than not, and teams like the Patriots, coming off a 4-13 season, are going to need to work their way up.
You'd figure with the work New England did this offseason to reconstruct its roster and provide second-year quarterback Drake Maye with the help he needs; the Patriots would garner a tad more respect. But the experts feel the team needs to earn it on the field, and that was evident in Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors' final offseason power rankings.
Ulrich had the Patriots slotted 24th, in the middle of the pack tier, which is fair for a team that has been an aggregate 8-26 the last two years and hasn't won a playoff game since Super Bowl LIII.
However, low expectations aren't always a bad thing for teams looking to reload, with the notable case in point being Washington's run to the NFC Championship Game last season.
The Patriots have nowhere to go but up, and that's not a bad thing
With a new arsenal of weapons and an experienced coaching staff, Maye is set up to succeed in 2025 after playing well through a rookie year filled with ups and downs and inferior talent around him.
In assessing the Patriots, Ulrich noted that the team was "the busiest team in football" last offseason, and he believes the Patriots can leap forward similarly to the Texans in 2023 or the Commanders last season.
For that to happen, everything is going to have to click, especially in the wide receiver room, as Stefon Diggs continues to push towards being ready for Week 1 and being the top-tier pass-catcher the Patriots haven't had in six years. You also have to add in the fact that McDaniels' offense takes some time to learn, so there may be a few growing pains in training camp for a unit that was near the bottom of the league in most major categories a year ago.
Ulrich noted the questions at wide receiver and on the offensive line could be the Patriots' undoing if those units fail to come together. The defense will keep New England in just about every game; it's just a matter of the offense making enough plays to win, especially against high-powered teams such as the Bills and the Bengals.
It's just as likely that the Patriots could stay in the middle-of-the-pack tier as it is that they make a Commanders-like run. It's up to the offense to find a way to click.