Rotten to the Core: ESPN Ranks Patriots' Nucleus Near Bottom of NFL

Who are the core players of the New England Patriots roster, and where do they rank among the rest of the NFL?

Back up 10 years, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a set of rankings that didn't have the Patriots at least in the Top 10. Except this isn't 2011, and the former kings of the AFC East are still looking to capture their first division title since 2016.

Many of the early predictions for the coming season don't have the Patriots winning the division. Some even have them being the bottom dwellers of the AFC East. That's also where ESPN sees the Patriots' roster "core" ranks ... languishing around last not only in the division, but the entire NFL.

In its recent article, ESPN ranked each team's core, defined as the five players a franchise is building around. For the Patriots, the "core" used is quarterback Mac Jones, linebacker Matthew Judon, safety Kyle Dugger, linebacker Josh Uche and offensive lineman Michael Owenu. Maybe surprisingly to the Pats faithful, New England came in at No. 27.

That means, of course, that ESPN believes only five teams have a worse "core" than the Patriots. Yikes.

"It seems plenty plausible that Jones' 2021 rookie season, in which he ranked 16th in QBR, is more indicative of the player he'll become than what he did last season (28th) with Matt Patricia as his play-caller," ESPN writes. "Judon and Uche combined for 27 sacks in 2022, but this core lacks superstars."

Firepower is certainly what the Patriots would be adding if they are successful in signing wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. It wouldn't totally cure the lack of superstars, but it could see them vault at least the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to No. 26.

Is ESPN underrating the Patriots' core? Possibly, which could see them move up the rankings if they manage to get back into the playoffs in the coming season. Yet, if they don't, one could only wonder if the Patriots would see their roster the same way that ESPN views it and tear it down to rebuild.

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