New England Patriots 2026 Preview

August 22 Update and best ball outlook::

(By: Mike Johnson)

• Drake Maye finished 2025 as the QB2 and has since upgraded his weapons. His skill set and consistency make him an obvious candidate to become a consistent yearly top-5 QB option for the foreseeable future, and stacking him is much easier this year than last.
• Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson comprise one of the better running back duos in the league.
• Stevenson is more trusted in passing situations, is the more consistent runner, and has better ball security so it seems like he is on track for a bigger piece of the pie, something around 60-40 split seems right. I like taking Rhamondre as my RB1 in the 6th or 7th round on teams that hammer WR and/or TE early.
• Henderson is uber-explosive and is likely to improve in many areas of his game in his sophomore season. During the three game stretch that Stevenson missed in 2025, Henderson averaged 24.3 PPR points. Henderson is a classic “better in Best Ball” pick who can give you some big weeks in his regular time share through big plays and efficiency, while holding top-5 positional contingent upside. I like taking Henderson as my RB2 or RB3 on teams that have invested early at the position as those teams won’t rely as much on his production and would be supercharged at the position should he ever find himself in a bell cow role.
• AJ Brown is primed for a return to elite status playing with the best passing QB of his career. He is an easy click for me anywhere in the second round.
• I have not been clicking many of the other Patriots WRs, other than Kayshon Boutte very late in drafts amidst trade rumors that could give him more opportunity.
• Hunter Henry has sneaky weekly upside, posting 24+ PPR points twice last season and having nine total double digit weeks en route to finishing as TE9. He will disappear for certain weeks, but has big weeks in store without a doubt. Solid tight end option in the middle of the double digit rounds.

WRITTEN BY: HILOW

Coaching/Philosophy/Scheme Changes ::

• Offense: Josh McDaniels enters the second season of his second stint with the Patriots.
• Defense: HC Mike Vrabel remains with the team as he deals with one of the more bizarre offseason storylines this year. Zak Kuhr was promoted to defensive coordinator after calling defensive plays for most of the 2025 season following the cancer diagnosis of former DC Terrell Williams.

Personnel Changes ::

• Acquired WR A.J. Brown from the Eagles in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick.
• Signed WR Romeo Doubs, S Kevin Byard, OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, EDGE Dre’Mont Jones, FB Reggie Gilliam, S Mike Brown, CB Kindle Vildor, and LB K.J. Britt.
• Drafted OT Caleb Lomu in the first, LB Gabe Jacas in the second, and TE Eli Raridon in the third.
• Released WR Stefon Diggs.
• Saw DT Khyiris Tonga, TE Austin Hooper, OT Vederian Lowe, RB Antonio Gibson, LB Jahlani Tavai, LB Anfernee Jennings, CB Alex Austin, CB K’Lavon Chaisson, and S Jaylinn Hawkins depart via free agency.

Schedule ::

• Divisional Games (6)::
  • Bills x 2, Dolphins x 2, Jets x 2
• AFC West (4)::
  • Raiders, Broncos, @Chiefs, @Chargers
• NFC North (4)::
  • Packers, Lions, @Bears, @Vikings
• Steelers, @Seahawks, @Jaguars

Bull Case ::

Drake Maye enters his third professional season and second season with Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator. That’s important here due to the aspects which make McDaniels’ offense so unique, relying heavily on read concepts and options. He is constantly looking to generate mismatches with his formations, plays, and structure, trusting the quarterback to read the development early and deliver the ball on time. We already saw massive leaps in Maye’s mastery of the game in his second season a year ago, and I expect further growth in 2026. The team also upgraded its skill position corps, moving on from aging veteran Stefon Diggs while bringing in both Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown. I believe there to be room to improve upon the 26.5 points per game this team scored in 2025 (eighth), potentially vaulting them into a top-five offense in the coming season.

The backfield duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson provides bankable production on the ground, with a solid mix of short-yard dependability (Stevenson) and explosiveness (Henderson). Both are also capable pass catchers, giving McDaniels the ability to stress multiple areas of the field. Finally, the New England secondary is one of the most talented units in the AFC after the additions of Kevin Byard in 2026 and Carlton Davis in 2025.