Peter King NFL Power Rankings: ‘Hard To Get Excited About Patriots’
It's been a long time since the New England Patriots entered a season without a certain level of buzz.
But according to longtime NFL reporter Peter King, he predicts New England to have another below average season following an 8-9 campaign a year ago.
In his post-draft NFL power rankings, King slots New England at No. 20 out of 32 teams and in the "They've Got Holes" tier, below the Las Vegas Raiders but above the Green Bay Packers.
“Other than new OC Bill O’Brien, it’s hard to get excited about a team that finished losing five of the last seven, with the D/special teams allowing 29.7 points per game in the last seven weeks,” King wrote. “And then defensive leader Devin McCourty retired.”
Third-round draft pick Marte Mapu - one of the Patriots twelve selections this year - looks to fill the void at safety following McCourty's 13-year and two-time Pro Bowl career.
With the hiring of O'Brien, who last coached in Foxborough in 2011, quarterback Mac Jones looks to replicate his 2021 Pro Bowl season following an inconsistent sophomore campaign.
However, with the New York Jets acquiring Aaron Rodgers, the four-time MVP brings another elite signal caller to the AFC East and more divisional competition for Jones.
By signing viable free agent pieces such as wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki along with hopeful Day 1 starters through the draft, New England looks bounce back from missing the playoffs a year ago.
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