Winning the offseason doesn't guarantee you a trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots' spending spree in the 2021 offseason, which ended with a playoff thumping at the hands of the Bills, is proof of that.
However, there are several reasons to be somewhat optimistic about the 2025 Patriots. Quarterback Drake Maye finally has his top wide receiver in Stefon Diggs. Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels are instant coaching upgrades. The defense already looks better with the signings of Carlton Davis, Harold Landry III, Robert Spillane, and Milton Williams, among others. Bringing in Morgan Moses is a step in fixing the offensive line.
What does all that add up to? Can the Patriots make a surprise playoff push this season? It's not impossible to believe, especially given the instability that AFC East foes Miami and the Jets are facing.
4 way too early predcitions for the Patriots 2025 NFL season
1. The Patriots will contend for a playoff berth
Let's be clear here, the AFC East belongs to the Bills until anyone else proves otherwise. But can the Patriots fight for a wild-card berth in 2025? Absolutely.
If the improved defense remains healthy, the unit will keep New England in nearly every game. The Patriots' schedule isn't as tough as it was a year ago, with New England set to face the weak NFC South and its other non-conference game at home against the struggling New York Giants. New England's toughest road games appear to be against Baltimore, Cincinnati, and the Bills.
If all goes according to plan and Maye continues to shift, it's not unreasonable to believe the Patriots can win nine or 10 games with that schedule and fight for a playoff spot right through the end of the season.
2. Stefon Diggs will have a 1,000-yard season
If this happens, it'll be the first time a Patriot receiver has accomplished this since Julian Edelman in 2019.
Diggs was on track to have a 1,000-yard campaign in Houston last year before a torn ACL ended his season. When he met with the New England media after signing his three-year contract, Diggs stated that his rehab was going great and he was ahead of schedule.
The best-case scenario is that Diggs can be on the field for Week 1 and avoid the PUP list, which would cost him the first four games. He's a smart receiver who can grasp McDaniels' offense quickly, and if what Diggs did for Josh Allen in Buffalo is any indication, this could be a big second year for Maye.
3. Drake Maye will throw 25 touchdowns
That's a lot to ask from a second-year quarterback, but with a shiny new receiving toy in Diggs, a genius of a coach in McDaniels, and an improved offensive line, Maye will truly get a chance to cook.
Diggs not only gives the Patriots a downfield presence but also draws attention away from players like Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas. The interior of the field will open up for those guys, particularly in the red zone, and if the offensive line can hold up, this offense has a chance to make significant gains in 2025.
4. Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis will be the league's best cornerback tandem
The Patriots' third-year cornerback was likely all smiles when he learned New England inked Davis to a three-year deal in free agency.
Davis was part of a Super Bowl-winning defense in Tampa Bay and was asked to do a lot for a Detroit club ravaged by injuries to its defense last year. Gonzalez, when healthy, is one of the league's best young corners, so quarterbacks are going to have to tread lightly against these guys this season.
With two shutdown corners on the outside in the prime of their careers, New England's secondary has a chance to be scary good in 2025. Imagine if the Patriots can draft Travis Hunter to add to that mix.