Patriots Get Ugly Assessment in ESPN Post-Draft Power Rankings

A fresh regular season is creeping up for the New England Patriots and the rest of the NFL.

In over two weeks since the 2024 draft has ended and the new rookies now starting to participate in their respective minicamps, it's made for an ideal time to take a step back and look at where the league stands as a whole. A bit of notable adjustments have taken place around the NFL across the past couple of months, ultimately leading to a few teams rising and falling in terms of prestige.

With said changes, ESPN dropped their post-draft NFL power rankings, measuring up each roster in the NFL from one to 32. Not much has changed at the top, with the Kansas City Chiefs still the team to beat, followed closely by the San Francisco 49ers at two, theBaltimore Ravens at three, and the Detroit Lions at four.

For New England, though, things still look bleak when stacking up against the rest of the league. When it came finding where the Patriots landed, they sat only two spots shy of placing dead last as the 30th-best team, only ahead of the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.

The ranking is one that's a bit unsightly for Patriots fans, and correlates with thew way this team looked throughout this past 2023 season. Still, ESPN insider Mike Reiss provided some optimism for New England's upcoming campaign despite being placed towards the bottom of the barrel:

"Signing veteran Jacoby Brissett as a placeholder until No. 3 pick Drake Maye is ready to take overseems to have the Patriots better positioned than they were last season -- with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe at the reins -- when they finished tied for last in points scored per game (13.8). Zappe and sixth-round pick Joe Milton III (Tennessee) round out the QB depth chart. Brissett has started 48 career games, and Maye's upside sparks promise for the future if New England can develop him properly."

A large portion of New England's success this next year will be contingent on quarterback play. We saw how disorganized and sloppy the position was during last season, and if the play looks any similar to that, the Patriots aren't winning many football games. However, the addition of third-overall selection Drake Maye brings a much-needed breath of fresh air to an offense desperate for a talent spark.

As with being a rookie, Maye is expected to see a few growing pains if he inevitably gets the nod to start. But, if the transition to the pros goes any easier than anticipated, this Patriots rebuild could be on the upswing very soon.

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