The New England Patriots have already earned the kind of respect that comes with a Super Bowl run, and ESPN’s latest roster rankings reflect that. Ahead of the 2026 season, the Patriots landed seventh in ESPN’s projection of all 32 teams’ offensive and defensive starting lineups.
That puts New England behind the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions. Not a bad place to be, but also not a spot that settles the argument. Depending on how you read the roster, the Patriots could be a little too low - or exactly where they belong.
At first glance, the projected starters don’t raise many eyebrows. There’s room for debate, sure, but not much that looks wildly off.
Kayshon Boutte’s trade buzz could eventually change the receiver picture, and Mack Hollins could slide into the third wideout role if Boutte is moved by Week 1. On defense, the Patriots would love to get second-round rookie Gabe Jacas into the mix, though that hinges on getting his contract details worked out.
The real strength of this team, though, is the secondary. Christian Gonzalez has become one of the NFL’s best players, and the addition of veteran Kevin Byard gives New England even more punch on the back end. ESPN’s Mike Clay pointed to that group as the Patriots’ biggest edge.
"Christian Gonzalez has emerged as one of the league's top young cornerbacks and is joined on the perimeter by veteran standout Carlton Davis III," ESPN's Mike Clay wrote on New England's biggest strength. "Marcus Jones has quickly developed into a standout in the slot. Craig Woodson was a terrific find in the fourth round of last year's draft and will be joined at safety by Jaylinn Hawkins' replacement, Kevin Byard, who continues to play at a high level at age 33."
There’s a fair case that the rosters in Los Angeles, Seattle and Buffalo are stronger from top to bottom than New England’s. The Eagles are a different kind of debate, especially with the source article noting A.J. Brown being traded to the Patriots, but their defense still keeps them in the upper tier.
The more interesting comparisons come with Baltimore and Detroit. The Patriots beat the Ravens late last season, and Baltimore’s roster has its own questions.
The Ravens did add Hawkins in free agency and drafted Malaki Starks, but they also lost starting center Tyler Linderbaum and don’t have a wideout group that jumps off the page right now, with Devontez Walker, Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt listed there. New England’s receiver group may not be flashy, but ESPN’s view is that it’s deeper and more experienced than Baltimore’s.
Detroit is the opposite problem. The Lions have the kind of offense that can overwhelm teams, with Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St.
Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta all in the mix. But their secondary could be the weak spot.
ESPN projected Roger McCreary, D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin as the cornerback trio, and that group doesn’t exactly inspire a ton of confidence.
The Lions also dealt with injury-related availability issues last year, and they’re now in a crowded NFC North. Their offense may look better on paper than New England’s, but that matchup could be one to watch when the teams meet in November.
One other thing that makes the Patriots stand out: the fullback is still part of the plan. New England signed Reggie Gilliam to a three-year deal in free agency, keeping a position that has long been tied to Josh McDaniels’ offenses.
"The fullback has been an important position in so many of Josh McDaniels' Patriots offenses, from Heath Evans to James Develin," ESPN's Aaron Schatz wrote. "Now the Patriots have a real fullback again, and Gilliam was well regarded as a contributor in Buffalo for the past few seasons despite playing only 21% of Buffalo's offensive snaps in 2025. However, the Bills averaged more yards per carry without Gilliam on the field last season (4.9 to 4.4)."
New England will get chances to prove ESPN wrong, or at least prove the gap is smaller than the rankings suggest. The Patriots are scheduled to face three teams ranked ahead of them - the Seahawks, Lions and Bills twice - so the evidence will come quickly enough.
In Other News...
Patriots May Have No Choice But To Make This Tight End Trade
The Patriots went into the offseason knowing tight end was a position they had to address, and the plan briefly looked manageable after they added Eli Raridon for depth. Julian Hills injury changed the equation, though, and it left New England in the market for a young veteran who could help sooner rather than later as the roster takes shape after the Super Bowl loss.
One possible path is a trade, especially if a tight end sitting behind a star on another depth chart becomes available. The Raiders have reasons to listen, and New England has the kind of draft capital and young receiver talent that could help grease a deal, but the real question is whether the Patriots are willing to pay enough to get the kind of player they need at a spot that suddenly feels a lot more urgent. [Read more 🡒]
Will Campbell Just Answered A Huge Patriots Fear
Will Campbell spent the offseason around some of the leagues better offensive linemen, working with Lane Johnson, Dion Dawkins and Tyler Guyton as he tries to sharpen the parts of his game that were exposed during a rocky rookie year. For a Patriots team that used the No. 4 overall pick on him, the focus has been on helping Campbell settle in, clean up the rough edges and look more like the player they believed they were getting when they made him their left tackle of the future.
The bigger backdrop is what happened in Super Bowl LX, where Campbells performance only added to the scrutiny that had started building late in the season. There had been plenty of noise about whether his best long-term fit might be somewhere else on the line, but New England has made clear it views him as a tackle and expects him to keep working on the blindside job the Patriots drafted him to handle. [Read more 🡒]
CBS Just Gave Drake Maye Another Patriots Fans Wont Forget
CBS Sports latest quarterback rankings gave Drake Maye a respectable but still eye-catching spot in the middle of the pack, placing the Patriots young passer 16th among NFL starters and in the outlets Borderline Stars tier. For a player who led the league in completion percentage and passer rating while helping push New England to the Super Bowl, it is a reminder that the national conversation has not quite caught up to the production.
The comparison at the top of the list only sharpens the debate, with Matthew Stafford landing above Maye despite the Patriots quarterbacks standout season. CBS pointed to the difference in surrounding conditions, noting Maye took more sacks and worked with a less effective receiving corps than Stafford did, and that context will matter again as New England keeps trying to build a more complete offense around him. [Read more 🡒]