There’s no way that the New England Patriots expected to find themselves playing in the Super Bowl in Year 1 of the Mike Vrabel era. It’s been interesting, though, to see such a dramatic shift in roster building in one year's time.
Last offseason was about establishing a new identity. The Patriots turned over about half the roster from the Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo regimes. To Vrabel’s credit, he found the right ingredients. New England’s new-look roster clicked almost immediately, and that cohesion is a big reason last year’s run through the AFC was possible.
This offseason has been more about tightening the screws, but not so much on the fringes of the roster. The major knock on the Patriots’ 2025 group was its lack of depth across the board. And while the team’s improvements at key position groups like wide receiver, guard, center, edge, and safety are undeniable, those same depth concerns remain.
Cornerback, especially, feels like a spot where the Patriots lack proper leverage in the event of an injury, and an intriguing name floating in the Denver Broncos is becoming hard to ignore.
Broncos corner Ja'Quan McMillian has blossomed into one of the league’s top young nickel corners, but his future in Denver seems a bit up in the air. He’s seeking a long-term contract, but his situation is complicated by his being a former undrafted rookie in 2022.
The Broncos were able to retain him this offseason via a second-round restricted free agent tender, but it’s no secret that Jahdae Barron, their 2025 first-round draft pick, is nipping at McMillian’s heels and due for a larger role.
If New England were to make a move to address their cornerback room this summer, McMillian should be at the top of Eliot Wolf’s wish list.
Stealing Ja'Quan McMillian from the Broncos would be a major win for the Patriots this summer
The big storyline surrounding the Patriots’ cornerback room this offseason has been the team’s decision to exercise the fifth-year option on cornerback Christian Gonzalez’s contract, but nothing more so far. He’s due for an extension, and it’s hard to fathom a top-market deal not getting done prior to September.
Gonzalez may technically be under team control through the 2027 season, but the Patriots have almost no leverage to drive a hard bargain based on their current depth chart.
Aside from fellow starters Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones, it gets dicey fast. The team will likely be leaning on players like fifth-round rookie Karon Prunty, Kindle Vildor, Charles Woods, and other borderline practice squad players as its top depth options in camp this summer.
McMillian would give the Patriots premium depth in the slot behind Jones, as well as some much-needed flexibility should Gonzalez or Davis miss time. Jones’ size at 5-foot-8 has helped him stick as a nickel corner, but 2025 was really his first full-time role in the interior.
Over his first three seasons in the league, he logged over 500 combined snaps on the boundary, per Pro Football Focus.
Similar to Jones, McMillian’s extension wouldn’t break the bank. Jones makes about $11.6 million per season, which is near the top of the market for slot corners. Any number under $10 million per year would be a major steal for McMillian, who was one of the best in the business in 2025. He only committed two penalties and limited opposing quarterbacks to a 77.3 passer rating when targeted, per PFF.
The deal-breaker could obviously be cost in draft capital. The Broncos tested McMillian’s market with that second-round RFA tender and wound up retaining the player at a bargain price. A realistic offer would likely start at a third-round pick, or potentially a package of fourth- and sixth-rounders.
Two Day 3 picks for McMillian’s expiring contract feel like the right starting point, given that the Patriots currently hold three sixth-round selections in 2027.
New England is all in on the final years of Maye’s rookie contract, as their aggressive offseason and the trade with the Eagles for A.J. Brown show. Players of McMillian’s caliber don’t hit the trade market often, and he'll most likely find himself back in Denver's starting lineup this season.
But if his contract talks with the Broncos remain in neutral this summer, the Patriots could swoop in and land the perfect solution to one of their biggest depth needs.
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