The Patriots face immense pressure heading into the 2023 season, much more than they have in quite some time.
On top of having the most brutal strength of schedule in the league and a quarterback hoping to have a bounce-back season, Bill Belichick is rumored to be in the hot seat if the team doesn't make the playoffs or, at the very least, perform better than last year.
The good thing is the roster is full of many talented players with the leadership qualities needed to be pillars of a team working to get back on track.
These are just five of those important players.
Rhamondre Stevenson
With the departure of Damien Harris in free agency and the release of James Robinson after a short stint as a Patriot, all chips are on Rhamondre Stevenson for the upcoming season.
His performance through just two seasons has been impressive, especially last year when he actively trained to become a receiving threat out of the backfield in the absence of James White. He's a proven workhorse willing to do what it takes to have a lot of the offense run through him, and it is expected he will have a breakout season in 2023.
As the clear primary running back of the team and the uncertainty surrounding the potential signings of Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook, Stevenson's role on the team becomes much more critical than it has been previously.
He won't be splitting snaps with Harris anymore, even though it was more like 65/35 last year, and he may become a more prominent leader on the offense moving forward. His performance certainly warrants it, that's for sure.
After becoming the first running back since LeGarrette Blount in 2016 to total 1,000+ receiving yards in a season, Stevenson is all but guaranteed to build upon that this year.
With so much uneasiness around the receiving corps, his presence on the field provides a comfortable and trusted weapon for Mac Jones to turn to, making him one of the most important pieces on offense without a doubt.
Matthew Judon
As the most consistently productive players on the team, Matthew Judon's leadership and performance can make or break the defense in any game.
Since signing with New England in 2021, he quickly assimilated into the Patriots' way of doing things. His domination on the field finally filled the massive gap left by Chandler Jones, who Belichick unfavorably traded to the Cardinals in 2016.
Jones had been the most productive defensive player for the Patriots since he was drafted. After his departure, the team struggled to find a player capable of replacing the impact he consistently made in every game.
Five years later, they finally got it right by signing Judon to a massive four-year, $54,500,000 contract that now seems like the steal of the century.
His first year in New England put the defense back on the map, totaling 60 combined tackles, 25 quarterback hits, 14 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks. Unbeknownst to everyone, Judon would build upon that the following year.
During the 2022 season, he added three more quarterback hits, totaling 28 for the year, and three more sacks from the previous season to total 15.5 by years end, just three sacks shy of passing the Patriots' all-time sack record set by Andre Tippett in 1984.
But with all of the greatness he has brought during his tenure in Foxboro, a noticeable dip in performance has occurred in the final few games of both seasons. Whether it's exhaustion or just a coincidence, it will definitely be something Judon will need to improve to remain consistent for the defense for the entirety of the season.
Plus, with the additions of rookies Keion White and Marte Mapu, Judon's mentorship will be even more invaluable to help elevate and mold the future of the defense.
Mac Jones
This one is obvious, right? You can't list the most important players on a team and not mention the quarterback, no matter who he is or what team you're talking about, which brings us to Mac Jones.
After dealing with a challenging first year without Tom Brady, the Patriots were in a position to draft their potential next franchise quarterback in the 2021 draft. Fortunately for them, Jones unexpectedly fell to them at the 15th overall pick.
His rookie season defied expectations, despite coming off a championship-winning season at Alabama, and he helped lead the Patriots back to the postseason after missing it the year before.
Jones' performance earned him a selection to the Pro Bowl, as he totaled 352 completions for 3,901 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. It was all looking great for the now Brady-less team, and most felt they might have found the right guy for the job just one year later.
But everything went down the tubes in 2022, with Jones seemingly taking the brunt of all the questionable changes made during the offseason.
Josh McDaniels had accepted the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving Belichick to fill the offensive coordinator vacancy that the new coach had held for over a decade. Oddly, he chose inexperienced Matt Patricia to take on the role precisely when it was declared the upcoming season was doomed.
The spring practices were messy, with training camp and preseason not looking much better. The regular season went on not much differently, as questions began to arise regarding Belichick's decision to put Patricia in a position he wasn't qualified for but also if Jones was built to be the quarterback of the future.
There was no consistency or uniqueness to the play-calling. It was clear Jones, and Patricia were not working well together, hence a struggling offense for all 18 weeks of the season.
Now heading into the 2023 season with Patricia out and Bill O'Brien in, Jones is working to revamp his reputation and performance to get back in the good graces of his coaches and teammates. Being the quarterback, of course, makes him one of the most important players by default.
But his dedication to improving his game, developing a good work relationship with O'Brien, and building foundational chemistry with the offensive players around him makes him arguably the most important of all.
We know that Belichick has created this team around a dominant defense; that is his specialty. And even with a well-performing offense, the defense will likely be why the team wins many games. But much of the overall responsibility falls on the shoulders of Jones and how well he can bounce back from last season.
Kyle Dugger
Arguably one of the most underrated players on the entire roster, Kyle Dugger has become an integral part of the defense over the last three years.
After Devin McCourty's retirement, his role on the Patriots becomes even more critical this upcoming season. Because of his unique versatility, he will inevitably help ease the growing pains of overcoming the veteran's absence and take on a more vital part as an emerging leader of the defense.
Since the 2023 season is a contract year for Dugger, it wouldn't be surprising to see his best season to date. His progression since being drafted in 2020 has been nothing short of impressive, particularly as a questioned Division II player.
Through those three seasons, he has totaled 234 combined tackles (11 for a loss), four quarterback hits, seven interceptions returned for 155 yards and two touchdowns, plus two fumble recoveries returned for 59 yards and a score.
Building upon that won't be easy, but it's clear Dugger has all the capabilities to do so, and he likely will as the Patriots' defense is projected to continue their dominance this season.
Now that he has become an essential part of the secondary, his influence and usage will be fun to watch each week. He's made a name for himself covering some of the league's best tight ends, and he will surely continue that this year.
But what else will he add to his repertoire?
With the void left by McCourty, Dugger will have an opportunity to make himself even more essential to the defense's success from his overall performance and adaptability.
If he can add even the tiniest smidge to his game to end any lingering questions regarding his importance to the team this year, we should expect Belichick to throw him the bag and make him a Patriot for years to come.
Tyquan Thornton
Most may believe JuJu Smith-Schuster is one of the key players on the offense for the 2023 season, and in most aspects, they're not wrong. But the development of second-year wide receiver Tyquan Thornton is enough for him to be pushed ahead of the Patriots' newest receiver.
It was apparent from the beginning that Bill Belichick and Matt Groh were impressed with Thornton's game entering the draft. Although they made a questionable first-round draft choice with Cole Strange, they decided to trade up in the second to ensure they got the receiver they had their eyes on before anyone else could.
Some labeled the move a reach, but the potential Thornton possesses and has shown is enough to believe they made the right choice.
During his rookie season, we didn't see him take the field until week five against the Lions. Mac Jones had just gone down with an ankle injury, and fellow rookie Bailey Zappe was in for the foreseeable future.
Thornton wasn't super involved throughout the game but was able to get his feet wet enough to prepare him for a breakout performance the following week.
The week six game in Clevland is when we first saw what the receiver could bring to the table. He caught his first touchdown pass to open the second half, and after a muffed punt late in the fourth quarter, he ran his first rushing touchdown with a 19-yard carry into the end zone.
He was sporadically used for the rest of the season and scored another touchdown. But most of the offense for the remaining games went through either Jakobi Meyers or Rhamondre Stevenson, not leaving much for Thornton to get involved in.
Now entering his second NFL season, expectations are high but hopeful. With an experienced offensive coordinator back in the mix, Thornton should be better prepared and coached to have the season the offense will need from him.