Pats Pulpit
Notes and thoughts on the Drake Maye, the Patriots’ draft picks, and more.
The dust has officially settled on the 2025 NFL Draft, where the New England Patriots added 11 players and an intriguing class of undrafted free agents. The focus now shifts back inside the building as the offseason programs continues under Mike Vrabel and Co.
To clean-up coverage from both the draft and the first week of Phase Two of the offseason program, welcome to our Sunday Patriots Notes.
“Put great people around him.”
That was Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s response during his introductory press conference back in January when asked how he plans to support his 22-year old quarterback Drake Maye. Several months later with free agency and the NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, Vrabel stuck true to his plan.
Entering free agency with a league-high in cap space, the Patriots were aggressive in upgrading the roster. That included adding a handful of impact defenders across all three levels of the defense and a new starting right tackle for Maye in Morgan Moses. Many of the additions project as immediate contributors.
“I mean, I’m pumped,” Maye said Thursday about the team’s offseason. “I think a lot of new faces, a lot of guys, a lot of veterans who have played a high level. I think we kind of found answers in a lot of different spots that hopefully can plug and play. I think that’s what the point of free agency is: get good guys coming here and help us win, help us win now. And I think you add that in with some young talent that we’ve had in the past couple drafts, and I think hopefully we’re in the right direction.”
Following an initial wave of free agency that favored the defense, more support around Maye then came. That started at wide receiver as New England agreed to a three-year deal with former Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs.
While Diggs is not expected to be on the field during spring practices as he rehabs a torn ACL suffered last October, Maye is already looking forward to developing his connection with the veteran wideout.
“Shoot, Stefon, he was one of those guys growing up when I was in high school, he was young in the league. I had him on my fantasy team and things like that — playing with him in Madden,” Maye said. “It’s pretty cool to hopefully now in-season throw to him. He’s coming back obviously from injury. He’s doing great. He’s been around. It’s going to be cool to throw to a receiver who’s made plays like he has.
“He’s made big plays in playoff games and played in a lot of different schemes, played with high-level quarterbacks. Just to see his point of view. It’s my job to give him a chance and go get it.”
Weeks later, New England used their first four picks of the NFL Draft on the offensive side of the ball...
