The New England Patriots entered the 2025 offseason after a whirlwind 2025, in which second-year quarterback Drake Maye led the team to the Super Bowl.
When the Cinderella-like season came crashing down in that game against a superior Seattle Seahawks team, Mike Vrabel knew there was a lot of work to do to make his team competitive with teams like the Seahawks.
While some think there are still several questionable positions on the roster that need to be addressed, FanSided's Jake Beckman feels the Patriots are now one of the four most improved teams in the NFL. That has to be good news for Patriot Nation.
The area of greatest improvement he cites is the wide receiver room, and the key player there, no surprise, is A.J. Brown.
The Patriots have improved in the right way for the 2026 season
Improvement was essential if the 2025 NFL Coach of the Year was to wield a 2026 squad that could not only get to a Super Bowl but win it. There is no question that one unit that needed upgrading if the Patriots were to take the next step was the wide receiver unit.
The improvement there was the focal point of Beckman's sky-high rating.
He emphasized the focus on the offense, specifically the receiving corps as their most impressive efforts, and because of that, the Patriots have a good chance to have one of the top offense's in the league, which is not something they've had the luxury of for a long time.
"Drake Maye’s best wide receiver last year was a 32-year-old Stefon Diggs...So the Patriots went out and signed Romeo Doubs … and traded for A.J. Brown. Doubs? Sure. He’s a good ball player; he’s got solid hands and can be a decent tool in a passing game...
Brown though? He’s the most talented wide receiver that the Patriots have had since Randy Moss from 2007 to 2010. You can say that Brown’s not in his prime anymore, and that might be right … But he’s closer to being 95% of that prime than he is 75% of it."
The addition of Brown by trade and the signing of free agent Romeo Doubs immediately upgraded Drake Maye's receiving corps. Brown became the indisputable No. 1 receiver Day One, and Doubs slots in nicely at the No. 2 spot. Getting top receivers for Drake Maye has to be a top offseason priority every year for Vrabel and the Patriots. In 2026, they did a terrific job of doing just that.
Maye will be the chief beneficiary of Vrabel's adding two better receivers in 2026 than their 2025 counterparts. Without them, Maye was arguably the NFL's best passer, and with Brown and Doubs now on hand, his passing yards, touchdown production, and even his completion percentage (which was a 2025 NFL's best, 72%) are likely to increase significantly.
If Maye has clean pockets and his running back tandem of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson can stay healthy, the offense should be formidable. Vrabel still has work to do at tight end and on the edge on defense to complete his 2026 roster upgrade.
But it's still clear that the rebuilt wide receiver room will contribute to a far more productive offense and competitive team in 2026.
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