The New England Patriots are a team with tremendous talent, but they still have the potential to get better. The Patriots have a multitude of players who are true superstars, something that couldn’t have been said two seasons ago.
The development of both Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez has been pivotal in the team’s success, but the team has also improved due to additions made since the Mike Vrabel era began.
Aside from Maye and Gonzalez, A.J. Brown, Milton Williams, and Kevin Byard are all established in this league. Brown has six thousand-yard seasons under his belt and has been selected as an All-Pro three times. Williams has been a game-wrecker since signing the largest contract in team history last offseason, and Byard made his third All-Pro after leading the league in interceptions for the second time in his career.
With the Patriots looking to continue their AFC dominance from the 2000s and 2010s by retaining their AFC East title, they’ll be looking for other players to step up to superstar status in 2026 and beyond. Thankfully, they have several candidates to do exactly that.
These 3 players are potential superstars for the Patriots in 2026
RB TreVeyon Henderson
The Patriots selected TreVeyon Henderson with the 38th pick in 2025, marking the first time they added to the backfield in the second round since Shane Vereen in 2011.
At the beginning of last season, Henderson saw minimal playing time, averaging just 6.1 carries per game, with only one game with 10+ carries in the first seven weeks. He was largely ineffective, rushing for just 3.6 YPC and one touchdown during that time.
Week 5 was a step in the right direction, however. Henderson took 10 carries for 75 yards, just the second time all season he hit the 10+ mark.
From the Browns game through the end of the season, Henderson took 10+ carries in nine of ten games, the exception being a five-carry game against the Ravens, during which he left with an injury.
Over the last 10 games, he averaged 75.8 rushing yards per game with 8 rushing touchdowns and north of 5.5 YPC. As a receiver, Henderson had a small role through the first seven games and continued to do so for the remainder of the season. He snagged his first career receiving touchdown against the Jets in Week 11.
With a second year in the system, Henderson could explode for a top-five rushing season. Extrapolating his 75.8 yards per game in his last ten regular-season matchups to a 17-game season, he'd finish with 1,288 yards for the year. A feat like that would have slotted him sixth in the league in rushing yards, ahead of both Jahmyr Gibbs and Christian McCaffrey.
Patriots fans should be very excited at the prospect of Henderson's seemingly inevitable breakout.
C Jared Wilson
Jared Wilson played out of position at left guard last season, but that won’t be the case in 2026. Following the trade of Garrett Bradbury to the Chicago Bears, the Patriots moved Wilson to center and signed Alijah Vera-Tucker to a three-year deal to fill the void.
Wilson wasn’t drafted nearly as highly as analysts believed he would be going into the draft. Widely respected as the top center in the class and a top-50 player, he wasn’t selected until Pick 95 in the third round. Next Gen Stats scored him as the most productive center (82/99), most athletic center (96/99), and best overall center (82/99) in the class.
The entire offensive line is likely to improve with the reshuffling the team conducted in the 2026 offseason. Wilson should be among the players who benefit most, with Vera-Tucker added to his left and Mike Onwenu retained on his right, in addition to his return to his more natural position.Â
His rookie season was far from elite, but he showed flashes, with a strong end to the regular season: he didn't allow a sack in the last five weeks and posted two clean games.
Wilson may be lost in the shuffle amid the flashier new additions along the offensive line, but the Patriots should expect strong center play from the Georgia alum, just as they did with another Bulldog, David Andrews, for nearly a decade.
CB Carlton Davis
Last season was a roller coaster for Carlton Davis. After signing a three-year, $60 million deal last offseason, the expectation was that he’d provide consistent cornerback play opposite Gonzalez, but he proved far more volatile than expected.
During the regular season, Davis allowed a 61.8% completion rate, 427 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Penalties were his biggest issue, with nine on the year. He didn’t miss a game.
During the postseason, Davis’s play improved tremendously. He allowed a 50% completion rate and 88 yards across four games. He was penalized four times, three of which came against the Texans in the divisional round. In that same game, he had two interceptions, his first and second of the year.
2026 will see Davis with a year of experience in Zak Kuhr’s defensive system. While his first season was up and down, so was Stephon Gilmore’s first year in New England. With Gonzalez opposite him and Byard added to patrol the space behind him, Davis has the opportunity to continue his postseason play into 2026, making him a prime candidate for a breakout in Year 2.
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