Patriots WR Corps Ranked At Bottom Of NFL

Despite adding talent this offseason, the New England Patriots receiving corps is ranked at the bottom of the NFL.
Jun 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) participates in minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Jun 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) participates in minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
In this story:

The New England Patriots gave their wide receiving corps a much-needed facelift. For starters, they made a big splash by signing former All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs. In addition, they signed Mack Hollins, who led the Buffalo Bills in touchdown receptions in 2024, and drafted Kyle Williams out of Washington State in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

These additions add to a room that featured Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne and Javon Baker as the top targets at the position in 2024. And while the Patriots made some much-needed additions to the position, they still have a group with a ton to prove in 2025, and don't have many guys who have proven star power. Because of this, New England ranked 31st in PFF's rankings of wide receiving corps in the NFL.

"It’s almost a completely new group of receiving weapons in New England, making it difficult to truly assess the state of the team's receiving corps," Trevor Sikkema writes. "Stefon Diggs was once the NFL's second-highest-graded receiver (90.6 PFF receiving grade in 2020) but is coming off a major knee injury. Mack Hollins was a solid but unspectacular receiver for the Bills in 2024, averaging only 1.04 yards per route run (95th out of 112 qualifiers). Kyle Williams, Javon Baker, Ja'Lynn Polk and Demario Douglas will fight for the final receiver roster spots."

Diggs is the one proven superstar in the Patriots' group of wideouts. However, as Sikkema points out, the ACL injury last season combined with his age, are large red flags that could prove to hold him back. This means that someone else is going to have to step up. Williams is the most likely candidate to do so, as he caught 70 passes for just under 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024 at Washington State. Even with optimism for the future, though, it's hard to rank the Patriots any higher on hope and potential alone.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!


Published
Jarrett Bailey
JARRETT BAILEY

Jarrett Bailey has covered the NFL since 2020 for various outlets, including The Sporting News and USA Today. He is the host of The Pump Fake Podcast and a lover of Batman lure and Professional Wrestling