The New England Patriots took the NFL world by storm last year, in large part due to the breakout of quarterback Drake Maye. Having Josh McDaniels run the show helped change how Maye played in 2025, but the offensive line remained a weakness.
During the regular season, the Patriots ranked 10th in the NFL in sacks allowed (48), but things took a turn for the worse in the playoffs. Maye was sacked an NFL record 21 times in the postseason, including six times in the Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Instead of standing pat there, the Patriots bolstered their offensive line, and it was pointed out by ESPN's Bill Barnwell as the best move of the offseason for them. If the offensive line improves the way it should, fans could see an even better version of Maye in 2026.
Drake Maye could take another leap for Patriots in Year 3
Regardless of a shaky postseason, the Patriots made it clear they will leave Will Campbell at left tackle. To help him out, they signed guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in free agency to a three-year, $42 million deal in free agency.
The biggest question around Vera-Tucker is his health, as he's dealt with torn triceps and a torn Achilles with the New York Jets. Despite that, New England believes in him because when he's played, he's flashed Pro Bowl potential.
With him expected to plug in at left guard, that moves Jared Wilson back to center, which is his natural position. Wilson played center in college with the Georgia Bulldogs but moved to guard in New England. Of course, that led to some growing pains, but he won't have to deal with that in 2026.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have Morgan Moses at right tackle, but with him being 35 years old, they decided to continue to add there. They drafted Caleb Lomu with the 28th overall pick, and he gives them a high-end depth piece who can easily start if needed.
They now have a solid collection of pass blockers with Lomu serving in that crucial swing tackle role to start the season. The postseason showed that when Maye is pressured, his play will take a dip. That isn't shocking nor surprising, as that's the case with most quarterbacks, but teams will look to attack that weakness in 2026.
With better protection, Maye could take another step in his development. And that would be scary for the rest of the year. In 2025, Maye led the NFL in completion percentage (72) while throwing for 4,394 yards, 31 passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
He also led the league in passer rating (113.5) and yards per attempt (8.9). The North Carolina product finished second in MVP voting, narrowly losing to Matthew Stafford.
It may be hard to imagine Maye playing better than this level, but with another year under his belt, in addition to better protection up front, there's a pathway for him to get better.
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