The New England Patriots have 12 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft and already have 15 rookies on a 14-3 AFC East-winning team that holds the No. 2 seed in the AFC. In short, they are possibly the best-positioned team in the NFL.
While New England's success was something I predicted and argued should be the expectation, a 14-3 record with one loss in their final 15 games was not even what the most optimistic could have expected. Drake Maye's ascension, paired with a stout defense and a coaching staff that instilled strong discipline, led to an overachieving squad in 2025, but the roster-building isn't done just yet.