The deal everybody knew was going to happen ... happened. Finally, A.J. Brown is a member of the New England Patriots.
The Patriots acquired Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2028 first-round pick and a fifth rounder in 2027. Quarterback Drake Maye has his shiny, new toy, at last.
And, the updated Patriots depth chart looks absolutely stunning.
The Patriots' wide receiver depth chart screams 'pick your poison'
Let's check in on what the depth chart looks like now that Brown is a Patriot.
WR1: A.J. Brown, Kayshon Boutte
WR2: Romeo Doubs, Kyle Williams
WR3/Slot: Mack Hollins, Demario Douglas
We're kind of going all over the place, here, when it comes to the third wide receiver in line. The pecking order, beyond Brown and Romeo Doubs, really doesn't exist in this Josh McDaniels offense, to be frank.
Patriots fans know this well based on last year. McDaniels used so many guys at various times.
At some points, fans thought a small stretch of Kayshon Boutte meant that he was going to blossom into being a stud. Now, this isn't to say anything against Boutte, but he's the perfect example of McDaniels choosing to utilize his guys when he sees the right opportunity.
Other times, we saw Demario Douglas make some big plays out of the slot.
And then, there was the steady veteran presence from Mack Hollins, who came up big at times as well.
There isn't really a go-to WR3 for this team, right now, and that's on purpose. That's a good thing. McDaniels knows he's going to have Doubs and Brown out there more often than not, but then he'll be able to be very particular about who else he's putting out on the field in three, four or five-wide receiver sets.
Hey, we haven't even talked about Kyle Williams, who looked like a sneaky deep threat at times, too. Look at that. The Patriots offense truly has weapons galore.
A year and a half ago, this wide receiver depth chart looked atrocious. New England might have had the worst wide receiver room in the league after the 2024 season and going into the 2025 offseason. Even going into last season, no one was sure what to expect out of this room.
And then, all of them contributed.
Now, having an alpha in the room like Brown, it'll allow the rest of them to do what they do best and in spurts.
You want a slot mercenary? Look no further than Douglas.
How about a guy with blazing speed after the catch? Williams just might be your mind.
You want a bigger body in the slot? Try Brown or Hollins.
You want a deep threat? Pick one of Boutte, Williams or even Hollins, dare I say.
You want someone who's going to be the reliable catch on third down? Then look at the top between Brown and Doubs.
Again, this entire depth chart is so, very well-rouned and it has Patriots fans thinking "MVP" for their quarterback. Let's see how this year shakes out now that Maye has the best weaponry yet.
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