PFF provides Patriots fans inarguable reason to be optimistic about team's future

Over the last two decades in New England, there was never much concern about whether the Patriots would be a good team come Week 1. As long as they had Bill Belichick on the sideline and Tom Brady under center, it was practically a guarantee that the team would be successful no matter what.

In the years since Brady left, that sentiment has become a thing of the past.

It was expected fate for a team with a productive quarterback for twenty years, which is entirely unheard of in the NFL. However, the way Belichick went about his usual duties despite having a massive quarterback void didn't provide much optimism for how the Patriots would fare anymore.

Fans have felt that way over the last four years, even this year, with Drake Maye as the new face of the franchise and a new head coach calling the shots. The media has jumped on the negativity train, as well, and has already concluded that the Patriots will be an awful team this fall.

However, regarding the team's future, Pro Football Focus believes there is a big reason to be optimistic, which stems from this year's draft.

PFF provides Patriots fans inarguable reason to be optimistic about team's future

Because the more negative a voice is, the louder it becomes, the narrative surrounding the Patriots right now is extremely negative. This coincides with their challenging schedule, rookie head coach and quarterback, and a roster that isn't completely set up for success just yet.

The new regime has made it known that it will take time to get the Patriots back to being a competitive team again, which Dalton Wasserman of PFF believes is reason to be optimistic about the team's outlook.

"New England spent seven of its eight draft picks on the offensive side of the ball with the hope that first-round quarterback Drake Maye could lead them into a new era of greatness. Maye, the FBS leader in big-time throws over the past two seasons, should add a vertical element to the passing game that was dormant with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe at the helm.

They also provided Maye with a few new weapons that should make the offense more explosive. Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker were two of the best deep threats in college football in 2023. Both finished the season with an FBS-best 99.9 deep receiving grade. Keep an eye on seventh-round tight end Jaheim Bell, too. He was arguably the best after-the-catch tight end in college football after Brock Bowers."

As the draft was ongoing, Mayo and Wolf received a lot of praise for the picks. They prioritized building around Maye and giving him weapons for the long term, something Wolf also did through free agency.

With that praise comes hope for the future, a factor that hasn't been a focus in Foxboro for quite a few years now. But with Maye under center and a young team of explosive players around him, it seems like enough to feel excited about what's to come, even if it isn't immediate.

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