After a brutal two-year stretch as one of the worst offenses in the NFL, the New England Patriots now seem serious about giving Drake Maye some real help.
On Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Patriots grabbed two playmakers who didnât shy away from touting their own skills. “I’d say I’m fast, I’m explosive. I’m good in one-on-one matchups,” second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson said. “My receiving ability, my blocking, I pretty much can do it all.” Third-rounder Kyle Williams wasn’t much different, calling himself “versatile, game-changing, and electric.”
As MassLive’s Mark Daniels writes, this kind of speed injection was exactly what Eliot Wolf and company set out to find. “Yeah, that’s definitely an emphasis. All four of the guys who we picked can run,” Wolf said. “I think their play speed is really what stands out about them, too.”
Wolf made it clear last offseason that the Patriots needed to “weaponize the offense,” but the results were, frankly, embarrassing. K.J. Osborn got signed and cut. Rookie receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker combined for a whopping 13 catches. Worse yet, they passed on Ladd McConkey, who torched defenses to the tune of 82 catches, 1,149 yards, and seven touchdowns.
The Patriotsâ offense didn’t just struggle â it barely functioned. Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled the ball seven times. No receiver cracked the league’s top 50 in yards. New England finished 30th in scoring.
This offseason already feels different. The Patriots traded for Stefon Diggs, added veteran Mack Hollins, and now bring in Williams, who averaged 17.1 yards per catch and led the nation with nine touchdowns against man coverage. Wolf raved about his ability to “win off the line” and “accelerate” past defenders.
They weren’t about to miss out on Henderson either. As Daniels notes, Wolf said, “Extremely productive player, extremely good speed, pass protection, pass game…we view him as a three-down back.”
The Patriots desperately needed to get faster and more explosive. At least on paper, it looks like they finally might have.
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