5 Top 2025 Free Agency and Draft Targets for Patriots to Help Drake Maye

The New England Patriots have their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye. The team hit a home run with the No. 3 overall pick last year—evidenced by Maye's Pro Bowl appearance—and now must augment the young signal-caller with some quality targets to avoid squandering his promising development.

While the Pats have plenty of holes to fill on the heels of an ugly 4-13 season, there's no priority more important this offseason than improving Maye's supporting cast. Veteran tight end Hunter Henry led New England last season with middling marks of 66 receptions and 674 receiving yards, and no Patriots pass-catcher reeled in more than three touchdown catches in 2024.

It's painfully clear that this offense needs immediate, significant upgrades. Fortunately for the Pats, they have both the cap space and draft capital to overhaul their offense in short order.

New England is entering the 2025 offseason with a league-high $112 million in effective salary-cap room—over $25 million more than the second-place Las Vegas Raiders—and nine picks in the upcoming draft. With several high-end veterans and a slew of blue-chip prospects up for grabs, it's all but guaranteed that the Patriots will enter the 2025 campaign with some new weapons for Maye to work with.

With that in mind, let's take a ranked look—based on their projected immediate and long-term impact—at the top free-agent and draft targets who the Patriots can make a run at this offseason.

TE Colston Loveland

Drake Maye and Hunter Henry quickly displayed chemistry and should continue that strong rapport into 2025, but the veteran tight end is heading into his age-31 season and won't be able to play at a high level forever.

The Patriots can get younger and raise the ceiling at the position by selecting Colston Loveland in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Michigan product is one of the top-ranked prospects on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board, standing atop the tight end list and at No. 12 overall in the class.

Loveland has everything a team could want in a tight end, including a 6'5", 245-pound frame, elite athleticism, solid hands, strong route-running skills and a humongous catch radius. While there are not many drawbacks to Loveland's game outside of some improvements to be made as a blocker, he's projected in the latest B/R Scouting Department mock draft to be a mid-first-round pick.

Barring a bold decision to trade way back from No. 4—or a costly one to double-dip the first round with a trade-up—it's likely Loveland won't be a realistic target for a Patriots team that has far more pressing needs to fill.

IOL Will Campbell

Will Campbell is the best offensive line prospect in this year's crop. The LSU product earned an excellent 8.4 grade from the B/R Scouting Department—a mark indicating a potential Year 1 starter who should make an instant impact—which is the eighth-highest overall in the class.

Campbell had a stellar run of 31 career starts for the Tigers at left tackle. He was a massive asset for the program's offense in both the run game and as a pass protector, using his size, athleticism, strength and dexterity to keep his quarterbacks upright and lanes clear for runners. Campbell's game will clearly translate to the next level, although it's likely those future contributions are going to come from the interior of the offensive line.

As much as New England could use the help inside, the team has more glaring problems at the tackle spots. The Patriots need stalwart tackles to develop alongside Maye, but unfortunately, the 2025 class leaves a bit to be desired for bookend protectors. With Campbell likely to come off the board within the first 10 or so selections, the Patriots will likely have to look elsewhere to solve their protection woes.

WR Chris Godwin

Chris Godwin is one of the most dynamic receivers in the league and is now set to become a coveted free-agent target. Since his breakout 2019 campaign, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star has racked up 5,899 yards and 31 touchdowns on 486 receptions.

While Godwin is only going into his age-29 season, injuries have been a real problem for the Pro Bowl wideout in recent years. He was sidelined 10 games in 2024 after breaking his ankle in gruesome fashion and missed time in all but one season since becoming a full-time starter six years ago.

As great as Godwin has been when healthy, he's probably not the type of player a rebuilding franchise like the Patriots wants to commit too many resources toward. Even though he's amassed more than 1,000 yards in every season he's started at least 13 games in, he should only be considered a consolation prize if the team whiffs on younger, more desirable free agents like Tee Higgins.

The Patriots must sort out their offensive tackle spot this offseason. Given the weakness of the 2025 draft class, the team should opt to prioritize the position in free agency. While there are several veterans who represent upgrades in New England's offensive trenches, none make more sense for the club than Alaric Jackson.

Jackson was a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. Although he spent his first two seasons mostly working as a backup, he emerged as a full-time starter in 2023 and has fared extremely well since the promotion. Jackson earned a 78.3 grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts across 893 offensive snaps in 2024, a mark that ranks 18th amongst the 141 tackles to qualify.

The hulking 6'7", 285-pounder allowed just three sacks on the year and graded nearly as well as a run-blocker (75.9) as he did in pass protection (79.5). Jackson's versatility and relative youth—he'll only be turning 27 years old in July—make him an ideal candidate for a long-term deal in New England.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler thinks Jackson is a good fit for the Pats after he "might have priced himself out of Los Angeles [by] proving to be a reliable starting tackle with upside". Spotrac estimates Jackson's value at $16 million per season, fair value for a player that Fowler believes has top-15 upside at left tackle spot.

Having more time to throw will be a major deciding factor when it comes to Maye making a superstar leap in Year 2. Getting Jackson in place will immediately improve a Patriots o-line that allowed pressure on nearly 20 percent of Maye's dropbacks and gave up 34 sacks in his 13 starts.

Ashton Jeanty is a special talent. He proved that repeatedly during a brilliant collegiate career at Boise State, one that came to an end with the running back nearly breaking Barry Sanders' longstanding single-season rushing yardage record.

Jeanty is now on the cusp of becoming one of the first players off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. He's a rare back worthy of a Day 1 selection largely thanks to his ability to impact the game as both a runner and receiver.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department has Jeanty rated as the No. 9 overall prospect in the entire class. His 8.3 grade indicates a Year 1 starter, a role he'd certainly play if he lands with the New England Patriots on draft night.

Jeanty would rate amongst the best running back prospects New England has ever drafted. While he's not the biggest back at 5'9", 215 pounds, he's strong, balanced and can be near-impossible to bring down on first contact. He possesses a blazing burst and has the acceleration to explode through holes and reach the second level quickly.

Although Jeanty needs to work on his pass protection skills to help keep Drake Maye upright, he projects as a three-down back who could take a ton of heat off a young quarterback. The Patriots need a back with the Boise State star's talents to keep defenses honest, something incumbent starter Rhamondre Stevenson failed to do during a tough 2024 season in which he averaged fewer than four yards per carry.

New England is downright desperate for playmakers right now, and Jeanty is unquestionably a prospect who can take on that burden. If the Patriots decide to trade down on Day 1 or make a move back into the mid-to-late portion of the first round, they could transform their offense overnight with this selection.

In an average draft class, Tetairoa McMillan would likely be the first receiver off the board. While that isn't likely to be the case in 2025 due to the presence of Travis Hunter, McMillan is still an outstanding pure wideout who profiles as a bona fide star at the next level.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department is extremely high on McMillan, giving him a sizzling 9.0 grade that is congruent with other top-tier prospects. Only three players in this entire class have earned marks equal or higher, putting McMillan in truly elite company. The Patriots should be thrilled to land McMillan if they elect to stay put at No. 4 overall or slide back slightly on draft night.

It's easy to see why scouts love the Arizona star. His 6'5", 212-pound frame will tower over most NFL corners, giving him an edge on jump balls and contested catches. McMillan moves extremely fast and fluidly for a player of his size and that natural athleticism often translates to big gains after the catch.

While his unteachable traits already make him a top-tier prospect, McMillan has shown a high football IQ and willingness to do the little things a coach like Mike Vrabel will demand from his Patriots players. He's experienced with lining up all over the field in the Wildcats' scheme and showcased a deep and varied route tree that helped him make plays at every level.

When summarizing the promising pass-catcher, Bleacher Report's Dame Parsons said the following:

"Tetairoa McMillan is a fantastic receiving threat who brings a ton to the table. NFL offensive coordinators will appreciate his versatility and the litany of ways he can win in their offensive structure. He projects as a No. 1 wide receiver who you pepper with a high amount of targets per game."

Expect McMillan to get serious consideration from New England's brass during the leadup to the draft. While the Pats may opt to address another area of concern with the No. 4 pick if they manage to lure Tee Higgins in free agency, it wouldn't be a complete shock to see them pair the two wideouts together either.

Tee Higgins is the crown jewel of the 2025 free-agent class. He's also a player who has been linked to the Patriots since shortly after requesting a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals last year. That union may finally come to fruition with Higgins set to hit the open market this offseason.

Higgins has spent the better part of his half-decade NFL career working in the shadow of superstar wideout Ja'Marr Chase. Despite long being the No. 2 option in Cincinnati's offense, the 26-year-old has proven more than capable of becoming a featured weapon if he signs with another team. Higgins has accumulated 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns on 330 receptions across his first 70 games and could put up far more impressive numbers in the coming years.

While Higgins struggled during an injury-plagued 2023 campaign, he bounced back this past season by recording a career-high 10 scores to go along with his 73 receptions for 911 yards. The 6'4", 219-pound wideout has yet to earn any All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors, but it seems it's only a matter of time before he starts racking up accolades as a No. 1 receiver.

With Spotrac estimating Higgins' value at $25.4 million per year, it's hard to see a cash-strapped organization like Cincinnati meeting that market value for a second option. That is star-tier money, the type of cash a desperate team like the Patriots can afford to pay to shore up one of their roster's weakest points.

There's been talk that Higgins may prefer to join a franchise ready to contend right away—SI.com's Albert Breer recently said that the wideout may choose to take less than New England is offering in order to land with a club with better Super Bowl odds—but the Patriots have the financial flexibility to make an offer he can't refuse.

With Maye on a cheap, cost-controlled rookie deal for the next three seasons and looking like a star in the making, don't be surprised to see the Pats take the same approach to the offseason that the Houston Texans did last year. This team is in a great position to capitalize on its financial flexibility, augmenting an up-and-coming signal-caller with pricy veteran weapons like Higgins.

The Patriots have a rare shot at drafting a can't-miss receiver this April. While many of the team's Day 1 and 2 picks at the position have failed to pan out over the last couple of decades, it's hard to envision a timeline in which Travis Hunter doesn't dominate the NFL.

Hunter entered the college football world as the No. 1 recruit and more than lived up to expectations on both sides of the ball. At both Jacksonville State and Colorado, the wide receiver/cornerback hybrid was near unstoppable. It took an injury to slow him down in 2023, but Hunter bounced back better than ever to cap off his sterling collegiate career with a Heisman Trophy.

Coming off a legendary campaign in which he put up 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on 96 catches plus recorded 36 tackles, 11 pass defenses and four interceptions, Hunter is poised to become one of the first picks in the 2025 draft. The Bleacher Report Scouting Department gave him a class-best 9.2 grade and projected him to go No. 3 overall in their latest mock draft.

The Patriots shouldn't hesitate for a single second if Hunter is still available when they are on the clock at No. 4 overall.

While New England could conceivably deploy Hunter on both offense and defense, he'd fit best as a sorely needed receiving weapon. Josh McDaniels, the team's longtime offensive coordinator returning for another go in 2025, could tailor his system around getting the dynamic playmaker the ball in space. Hunter's presence alone will create looks for the other Patriots pass-catchers simply due to the defensive attention he's going to command.

Factor in that Hunter is just 21 years old and hasn't even reached his ceiling, and it's easy to see why he should be the No. 1 player on New England's offseason wish list. He has the potential to become one of the game's biggest superstars and can help turn this downtrodden club back into a perennial contender.