There was a lot of pressure on the Patriots to deliver an unforgettable offseason this year after the disaster that led to another embarrassing losing season in 2024. It's a big reason Robert Kraft let go of Jerod Mayo and hired Mike Vrabel, arming the experienced head coach with the most cap space to spend and prime positioning in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That knowledge from his time with the Titans and a great early partnership with EVP of player personnel Eliot Wolf led the Patriots to their best offseason since Tom Brady was on the team, accomplishing a feat that didn't seem possible. One reason for that was that every weakness on the roster was addressed, including the late addition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
The receiving corps was expected to be a priority in free agency, only to leave fans disappointed due to the lone signing of Mack Hollins. Although he is a solid player, he wasn't the game changer the offense needed, especially if elevating Drake Maye was the primary focus.
Fortunately, it eventually led to Diggs being the next receiver to sign on the dotted line, which brought a lot of excitement, even though he's coming off an injury that ended prematurely due to an ACL injury. However, the latest projection for his first season in Foxboro leaves much to be desired.
ESPN's projections for the 2025 season have Stefon Diggs unable to replicate his usual production
Because he suffered the ACL injury in late October last year, there is speculation that Diggs won't be ready to go in Week 1. From what we've seen so far this offseason, that doesn't appear to be the inevitable future, as the 31-year-old looks back to his usual form, well before the season starts.
But the latest projections from ESPN's Mike Clay, who puts out an annual projection guide every season, have Diggs missing four games in 2025. This results in him recording his worst production since his rookie season in 2015.
Clay has the Patriots' WR1 recording 70 catches for 768 yards and just three touchdowns. The last time he had a season under 900 yards (not counting 2024) was in 2017, a year he played in 14 games and recorded 64 receptions for 849 yards and eight scores.
Although the projection would mean he would put together a better year than most Patriots receivers have in quite some time, it's not the kind of production fans were hoping for when Diggs joined the team, even coming off an injury. Missing four games feels like a lot for a player who doesn't appear to be on pace to do so, making it a big concern for the season ahead.
RELATED: Patriots receiver sounds thrilled after first taste of Stefon Diggs' influence
The hope, of course, is that won't be the inevitable future and Diggs won't have to miss that much time, if any at all. Only time will tell and it's likely Vrabel will try to keep him sidelined as much as possible during the preseason to ensure he's ready for Week 1.
Given how crucial he will be for the offense's performance, getting on the field sooner rather than later would be better. But there is a slight silver lining to his production that fans can get excited about: an estimate of 768 yards in 13 games feels relatively low for a player of his capabilities, as that averages to 59 yards per game. That seems too low considering Diggs's importance for Maye, so it looks more like a cautious projection than anything else.
That will, at least, be the hope for most fans looking forward to the 2025 season.