Tag: buffalo-bills

2026 AFC East Preview

New England Patriots

The Patriots went 14-3 last year, won the division by two games, Drake Maye was nearly the MVP in year two of his career, they added AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs to the offense and somehow, they aren’t supposed to be better this year?  That doesn’t track.  Yes, the schedule is harder, but this team is better than they were a year ago.  Maye showed he’s a legitimate top-level QB already and now he has Brown and Doubs as his top pass catchers, this offense will hum.  The defense should at least be as good as it was last season. 

Drake Maye nearly won the MVP last season, and everyone wants to forget it because the playoffs weren’t great.  He was clearly banged up dealing with a shoulder injury during that run and his offensive line was compromised with Will Campbell not being healthy.  Campbell is healthy in camp now and Maye had the off season to get his shoulder healed up.  With two new weapons in the passing game, Drake Maye has a chance to be even better than he was last year, when he NEARLY WON THE MVP. 

Stefon Diggs was good for the Patriots last season and Kayshon Boutte had a solid year too as the second WR.  Now AJ Brown is the top dog, and Romeo Doubs will be the second receiver, they traded Boutte to Houston, but they still have depth.  Brown is an upgrade over Diggs and adds a power element the team didn’t have last year.  DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams round out the group and each of them can play a role.  TE Hunter Henry is still an effective security blanket, and the team hopes Eli Raridon just follows in Henry’s footsteps.  Losing free agent signing TE Julian Hill to a season ending injury over the summer hurts since he was supposed to be the blocking TE but it probably just means you see more FB Reggie Gilliam on the field.

LT Will Campbell is getting treated much like Drake Maye with everyone only remembering how poorly he played in the playoffs.  The truth is Campbell didn’t play great after returning early from a knee injury during the season, the playoffs just amplified it.  When he was healthy, he was fine at LT, he’s not Trent Williams or Tristan Wirfs, but he was playing good football.  Health will help him the most this year but also having a veteran at LG would be helpful too.  Counting on Alijah Vera-Tucker to stay healthy is a risky bet but he’s a true talent when he’s on the field and major upgrade at guard from Jared Wilson.  Wilson wasn’t suited to the guard spot, but he moves to his more natural center position, and he should be fine there.  Flanking him with two big, powerful veteran guards like Vera-Tucker and Michael Onwenu should really help him too.  RT Morgan Moses returns and should be fine at RT, but the Patriots also drafted Caleb Lomu as depth at either tackle spot.  Marcus Bryant, a late round pick from the 2025 was having a great camp until he got hurt.  For now, it’s  rookies Lomu and OT Demetrius Crownover, and veteran guard Greg Van Roten as depth.

Rhamondre Stevenson started the year pretty poorly with multiple fumbles early last season, then he pulled it together and was pretty good the rest of the year.  TreVeyon Henderson was supposed to be new star, but he struggled with pass protection and couldn’t steal those snaps from Stevenson.  He does add the big play element that Stevenson doesn’t have but he needs to be more consistent to take over more of the role.  The team also signed FB Reggie Gilliam from the Bills.  He adds a real fullback to the offense so Josh McDaniel can use that in his offense again.  It also took him away from their division rival, the Bills, that’s a bonus. 

The Patriots’ defense is officially being run by Zak Kuhr who stepped in last season and took over as the interim when their defensive coordinator stepped away for health reasons.  He did an excellent job and now it’s his.  The scheme should be virtually the same, but they did add a few new pieces. 

Up front, the team lost NT Khyris Tonga but having Milton Williams and Christian Barmore back is the real key.  Williams and Barmore are a devastating duo and Williams proved he was more than worth the money they paid him.  Corey Durden played well towards the end of last season and gets the first shot at Tonga’s NT job.  They should have enough depth to get through the year with Joshua Farmer and Leonard Taylor III on the roster and Jeremiah Pharms and Eric Gregory around on the practice squad.

The edge group had some issues last season with Harold Landry being beat up and K’Lavon Chaisson being a pass rush guy but not good against the run.  Landry’s health is still a big issue they have to deal with, but they signed Dre’Mont Jones at OLB and he’s a better overall player than Chaisson.  They drafted Gabe Jacas in round two and he brings a similar power element to what Jones is.   Elijah Ponder played some as a rookie last year and now he will likely start opposite Jones until Landry is back, they hope he keeps developing.  ILB Robert Spillane is a leader and a tackling machine while they need Christian Elliss to hold up at the other spot. 

The secondary contains one of the best CBs in the NFL, Christian Gonzalez.  They are working on his extension and once it’s signed, Gonzalez can focus on becoming the best CB in football.  He’s good enough to take the mantle from Patrick Surtain II.  Carlton Davis Jr. is a solid player who needs to stay healthy even as he ages.  He can be an excellent CB2, but he needs to be on the field.  Marcus Jones is an excellent slot player and he’s great on special teams.  Craig Woodson was really good as a rookie last year and now has a chance to breakout as one of the better young safeties in the game.  They signed veteran Kevin Byard to bring some more playmaking to the backend of the defense.  Byard is an old favorite of Mike Vrabel’s from his years in Tennessee and he’s still a ballhawk. 

Speaking of Mike Vrabel, I have to address the off season events between Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.   While it was quite the story and doesn’t make Vrabel look good, I don’t see it having a long-term effect on his coaching of the Patriots.  There is no law against having an affair, if that’s what really happened.  Also, if the Patriots were going to do something about it, they would have already.  Clearly, Robert Kraft is not firing Vrabel over this, if he was going to, he would have done it when it first came out.  The league has no standing to punish Vrabel, and I can’t see many Patriots players actually caring about this.  It’s a story, questions may be asked throughout the season, but no one is going to answer them and then reporters will stop asking because they know they won’t get answers.  I have always liked Dianna Russini’s reporting and it may be completely unfair that she lost her job, and Vrabel keeps his but is anyone surprised by this outcome, I’m not.  At the end of the day, this is non-story for the season.  Unless there is some crazy detail we haven’t heard about, and we’ve heard plenty of stories so far, this will pass.  You don’t have to like it, I don’t particularly care about it, and it’s going to pass without much more fanfare. 

Buffalo Bills

The Bills went 12-5 last season and while there was no shame finishing second to the Patriots in the division, another early exit in the playoffs cost Sean McDermott his job.  They didn’t look too far for his replacement as they promoted Joe Brady from offensive coordinator.  The biggest change will be going from McDermott’s defense to new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s scheme.  Leonhard is a bright mind; the issue will be if he has the right players for his system. 

The team kept Joe Brady in large part because he’s run an extremely effective offense with Josh Allen at the helm.  Allen is the engine that keeps the Bills in contention every season and he’s in the prime of his career.  Brady moves into the big chair, but he’ll continue to run the offense and focus it on Allen’s incredible gifts.  He’s a big armed QB who also happens to be the size of a LB and runs guys over in the run game.  He’s perpetually in the MVP debate and that’s not going to change any time soon.

Allen has been making the most of a less than elite WR corps.  The team tried once again to address the issue and may have found an actual answer in DJ Moore.  Moore has always been a productive player, but it wasn’t working especially well in Chicago but he’s still better than anyone the Bills have.  Moore adds a real playmaker down field and should help open up the underneath stuff for Khalil Shakir.  Shakir is a good player but he’s not a game breaker.  Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are a solid duo at TE even if Kincaid hasn’t been the playmaker they were hoping they were getting when they drafted him.  WR Keon Coleman is trying to hang on to his roster spot, and they hope they get more from Josh Palmer, but Moore is the major addition to the offense. 

The Bills return four of their five starting offensive linemen from one of the best units in the league.  LT Dion Dawkins never gets mentioned with the top LTs in football but he’s still an excellent player.  RT Spencer Brown is in the same boat, his name rarely comes up with the best at his position, but he’s been very good for several years.  They re-signed Connor McGovern at center and just gave a major extension to RG O’Cyrus Torrance.  Those two signings were a big reason they had to let David Edwards leave in free agency.  Alec Anderson replaces Edwards at LG, he’s unproven.  They did sign veterans like Lloyd Cushenberry and Austin Corbett just to cover themselves inside. 

The running game has been excellent since Joe Brady took over as the play caller a couple of years ago.  James Cook is a real talent, and they know how to use him and how not to overuse him.  He’s one of the best RBs in the league.  They have depth with Ty Johnson and Ray Davis, but it really helps that Josh Allen is one of the better short-yardage backs in the league.  Losing FB Reggie Gilliam may hurt their run game a bit, he is one of only a few true fullbacks left in the league.

The defense will undergo a major change with Jim Leonhard looking to revamp the unit and get more out of the guys they have.  Leonhard has been in Denver working with their 3-4 scheme, but Buffalo isn’t set up to run that scheme exclusively, there may be some hybrid version to start.  Up front, TJ Sanders and Ed Oliver can be the DEs on a three-man front, but Deone Walker isn’t really a nose tackle despite his size.  Landon Jackson, Zane Durant, DeWayne Carter add depth behind those guys, but no one is built to be a true NT. 

The LB group starts with Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb as the edge rushers.  They’re  two big OLBs as they are both over 265 lbs.  Chubb has played OLB his entire career but lining up in that formation will be a change for Rousseau.  He’s athletic enough to pull it off but it will be a transition.  They did draft TJ Parker, and he gives them another athletic guy who should be a good pass rusher.  ILBs Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard are solid LBs who should do fine in this scheme.  Rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr will play inside too.   

The secondary needs everyone to get healthy so they can see what they have with all their guys playing together.  CB Christian Benford is a very good player when he’s on the field.  They drafted Maxwell Hairston in round one in 2025, but he was injured and never really got to play with Benford, having them together would be helpful.  They have Cole Bishop at one spot, and they signed CJ Gardner-Johnson to be the other safety.  Gardner-Johnson had a little injury issue during camp but should be back.  They do have some rookie backups to like with S Jalon Kilgore and CB Davison Igbinosun ready to contribute.  Leonhard was a defensive back in the NFL; he should have a good idea how to put this unit together. 

New York Jets

Aaron Glenn is the coach most likely to be fired first this season and I don’t believe the odds are even close.  Glenn’s first season as a head coach went poorly and considering his QB was Justin Fields, that’s not surprising.  What was surprising was a defense coached by a former NFL corner and long-time defensive backs coach didn’t have single interception last year.  Hiring Frank Reich as your new OC is not an inspiring move and while they made some wholesale changes on the defensive side, Glenn has to pull it all together fast or he’ll be out the door. 

Geno Smith was an epic failure in Las Vegas last season, but it wasn’t all on him.  That offense was bad in every way.  He can be an upgrade over what Fields was giving them last year; that’s a low bar.  He will be better at using Garret Wilson in the passing game and could potentially unlock the deep passing game since that’s his bread and butter.  If Geno fails, they probably give some snaps to rookie Cade Klubnik, he’s the quickest route to the top of the draft. 

Garrett Wilson should benefit the most from having Smith around, he’s at least a decent passer in theory.  Smith might actually be the best thing that happens to AD Mitchell.  Mitchell is a deep ball specialist, and Smith loves to throw down field. The team drafted Omar Cooper Jr. and he will be a very nice player for whomever becomes the long-term QB for the Jets, for now, he’s fourth on the depth chart.  Isaiah Williams beat him out for the third WR spot right at the end of camp. TE Mason Taylor had a solid rookie year, and the team drafted Kenyon Sadiq to give them a more dynamic weapon in the passing game.  If Smith can’t be decent with this group, it will be clear his career is coming to an end, there is talent at pass catcher. 

 The Jets have one of the best young offensive lines in the league and they should only get better.  C Josh Myers is the elder statesman of the group and he’s only 28.  The tackles are LT Olu Fashanu who’s 23 and RT Armand Membou is only 22, and both are good already and should only get better.  RG Joe Tippmann and new LG Dylan Parham are in their mid-20’s and are solid players.  This line should be good for a few years at this point.  If the offense is a mess, it won’t be because the offensive line isn’t talented enough.

Breece Hall got a new contract this off season and Frank Reich would be smart to lean on his offensive line and his very talented RB and less on his aging QB.  Hall was a 1000-yard rusher last year in an offense that wasn’t very good.  He’s also a talented pass catcher so he should be the focal point of the offense. They also have depth with Braelen Allen and Isaiah Davis. 

The Jets defense was a mess last season and Glenn took over play calling during the season from Steve Wilks, he’ll continue to call plays this year.  The team is going to use more variations in its fronts but given some of the personnel, they should lean to a 3-4 look more.  The team traded for DT T’Vondre Sweat and he’s a space-eating NT any 3-4 team would be happy to have.  They also signed DL David Onyemata from Atlanta, he fits the 3-4 end position.  DE Harrison Phillips also fits the 3-4 end position well. 

The LBs and edge rusher seem to be a 3-4 group too.  David Bailey was their first, first-round pick this season, he can play DE or OLB, he’s just an excellent pass rusher.  Will McDonald is also built like a 3-4 OLB, he’s a true speed rusher.  The team also has Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare who are guys who can play in either alignment.  They at least have depth at pass rusher.  At ILB, DeMario Davis comes over from New Orleans, he may be 37 years old but he’s still a tackling machine.  He also gives them the leadership they need on defense.  Jamien Sherwood struggled last year but the hope is having Davis will help unlock him again.  His best season was when they had CJ Mosley next to him, Davis is that type of player.  They don’t have depth here so Sherwood needs to be good.    

The secondary got some new faces too this off season.  S Minkah Fitzpatrick was brought in to bring a playmaking element to this unit; they were horrible last season.  Fitzpatrick has his warts but he’s a tough player and will really help.  Nashon Wright had an excellent year for the Bears with a bunch of interceptions; the Jets gave him a one-year deal hoping to strike oil with him for a second year.  They also drafted De’Angelo Ponds, and he should be their slot corner at least.  He might even give Brandon Stephens a run for the other outside CB spot.  Jarvis Brownlee was good for them last year and the team has some depth at safety.  Dane Belton will give Andre Cisco a run for the other safety spot opposite Fitzpatrick and they also have Malachi Moore.  This unit shouldn’t be nearly as bad as it was last year, if it is, Aaron Glenn will be out quickly in New York. 

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins fired their GM, head coach, and took major salary cap hits to let Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill go in the off season.  They also traded Jaylen Waddle to Denver, to say they wanted to start fresh is an understatement.  Jon-Eric Sullivan is the new GM, and he brought Jeff Hafley in as the head coach, they both come from Green Bay.  New QB Malik Willis was also in Green Bay.  It’s a total teardown of the roster from the previous regime and it’s going to be a painful year in Miami as they start over. 

Malik Willis was really good in a small sample size replacing Jordan Love when he was hurt at different times the past few years.  In Green Bay, he was running a Matt LeFleur offense with some very talented skill position players around him.  Now he’s in Miami, they are fairly devoid of talented pass catchers, and it’s Bobby Slowik running the offense.  Slowik’s one tenure as an OC before ended when he was fired in Houston, not a ringing endorsement. 

The Dolphins have a large group of middling and unproven WRs to choose from this year, and it could go a number of different directions.  They have cornered the market on veteran WR3s; Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Terrace Marshall, they also had Tutu Atwell, but they traded him back to the Rams for a RB they didn’t even roster (he’s on the practice squad).  Their only real hope for a true difference maker is for one of their three rookies to breakout.  Caleb Douglas was a bit of a surprise third-round pick, but he’s looked good early in camp, given his competition, it’s understandable.  Chris Bell would have been a much higher pick than then where he went in round three if he wasn’t coming off an ACL injury.  He has the highest upside, but they will have to wait for him.  Kevin Coleman Jr. was a solid choice in round five and if he can break through, he might actually be a guy worth investing time in.  As bad as the WR group is, the TE group is worse.  Greg Dulcich isn’t scaring anyone and the two rookies they have there don’t have the upside of the rookie WRs. 

The offensive line has a chance to be solid but there’s a little work to do.  LT Patrick Paul was fine last season, his first as a starter, and there’s reason to be optimistic he’ll continue to develop.  The LG spot will be filled by rookie Kadyn Proctor.  Proctor played LT in college, but most see him as a guard due to some limited mobility and his serious upside due to his power.  He can be a mauler and between him and Paul, the left side of the Dolphins line is massive.  Last year’s starter at LG Jonah Savaiinaea is moving to RG and he’s another massive individual.  He struggled last year but the team hopes he can figure it out playing on the right side.  The two massive guards are helpful when you have a small center.  Aaron Brewer was the best thing on the line last year for the Dolphins and he was an All-Pro.  He’s undersized but that shouldn’t matter at all this year.  RT Austin Jackson returns again, it seems like they always want to replace him, but he just keeps coming back and starting. 

The running backs in Miami are talented, and they actually have some depth.  De’Von Achane is a superstar, he’s the one thing this offense can count on.  It’s a shame he’s wasting one of his prime years with this team, he deserves to play for a team that is playing for something.  Ollie Gordon II is his complementary power back who spells Achane in certain situations and he’s good enough to deserve more carries but it’s hard to take the ball away from Achane.  Jaylen Wright is another talented player who doesn’t get any touches here either.

The defense is going to be a work in progress as Hafley turns over the personnel on the unit and changes the scheme.  DT Zach Seiler is the old man of the unit at 30 and the best player up front.  Seiler is really good but he needs some help from Kenneth Grant who they drafted last year.  Grant is a big man who can really move and the two of them should be a good pair at DT once Grant returns from IR.  He’ll miss at least four weeks, but they hope to get him back.   Chop Robinson will be a DE for Hafley as he remakes this front.  Robinson isn’t very big, but he’s got speed and can really get after the QB.  Unfortunately, he’s the only edge rusher they have who’s any good.  Josh Uche is a rotational player at best. They may have been hoping to get something from rookie Trey Moore, but he starts the year on IR too. 

At LB, Jordyn Brooks is really good and seriously underrated.  If he played on a better team, he’d garner far more attention.  Tyrel Dodson was supposed to start next to Brooks, but rookie Jacob Rodriguez beat him out and they ended up cutting Dodson.  I can’t blame them for going with the rookie, but it could be ugly at times for the defense.    

The secondary needed a complete overhaul, and it got one.  It starts with rookie CB Chris Johnson, he’s going to be the CB1 eventually, and Hafley’s going to love the way he plays.  The other CB spot is up for grabs.  Storm Duck is coming off a knee injury so it’s anyone’s ballgame.  JuJu Brents hasn’t been able to stay healthy for the last few years, but he still has a lot of upside and it looks like he’ll start.    Jason Marshall found his spot last year at nickel and he should continue to develop there.  As bad as the CB group looks, the safety group is worse.  Dante Trader Jr. and Michael Taaffe are the listed starters.  There is no depth to speak of and it could be a long year for the Dolphins defense. 

2025 AFC East Preview

Buffalo Bills

The Bills are a team that are so close to being a Super Bowl team they can taste it.  They aren’t in the business of making big moves right now, they are simply trying to tweak the spots they need to get over the hump.  Sean McDermott returns with his coaching staff intact and having Joe Brady return at OC instead of losing him to a head coaching job is a win for this team.  Brady has unlocked the running game which has enhanced the offense overall and made Josh Allen that much more frightening for the league. 

Josh Allen is the engine of this offense both in the passing game and the running game.  He’s coming off his first MVP award and it probably won’t be his last.  Allen makes the Bills a contender as long as he’s playing.  WR Khalil Shakir had a good year and may be on the cusp of a breakout season.  He’s not a real WR1 but he’s an effective player who Allen seems to trust.  WR Keon Coleman had a solid rookie season with some ups and downs but he got a lot of reps and that’s the important part.  They signed Josh Palmer from the Chargers to give them a deep threat and while he’s not great, he’s a better deep threat than anyone else they have had.  They have been hoping TE Dalton Kincaid can break out but he hasn’t been consistent enough to overtake Dawson Knox, a guy Allen trusts. 

The running game has gotten a lot better under Joe Brady’s direction and it’s mostly because he has found the keys to unlocking James Cook.  Cook is not the most efficient player but he did well last year and scored a lot of TDs.  It was definitely an outlier season for him but he’s part of the running game they use well.  Allen still gets plenty of yards rushing and they are often some of the most important rushing yards but they need the whole run game. The Bills also have one of the most underappreciated offensive lines in terms of national recognition.  LT Dion Dawkins is very good but the rest of the individuals are usually not discussed amongst the best at their positions.  LG David Edwards, C Connor McGovern, RG O’Cyrus Torrence, and RT Spencer Brown just quietly go about their jobs and I’m sure Josh Allen recognizes them for their work. 

The defensive front returns intact with DE Greg Rousseau, DE AJ Epenesa, DT Ed Oliver, and DT Daquan Jones all back.  The team did look to add some depth but may have misfired a bit.  DE Joey Bosa is already hurt and veteran additions Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht are both suspended to start the season.  Now they will have to hope rookies DE Landon Jackson, DT TJ Sanders, and DT Deone Walker can all be ready to start the year as depth pieces.  LBs Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard return too with only Dorian Williams as depth.  They did sign long-time Panthers LB Shaq Thompson hoping he still has something left but that may be asking a bit much.  He played for McDermott when McDermott was the DC in Carolina a long time ago. 

In 2022 the Bills took Kaiir Elam at CB in the first round of that draft and he turned out to be a bust and was traded to Dallas this off season.  That same year they took Christian Benford in the sixth round and now he’s their top CB and he’s very good.  Their secondary fell apart when he got hurt last year.  This year they took CB Maxwell Hairston in the first round and were hoping he would take the CB spot opposite Benford and run with it, unfortunately, he’s already hurt and starting the season on IR.  Just in case though, they took CB Dorian Strong in the sixth round this year, it’s a very strange coincidence.  They also brought back Tre’Davious White but he looked pretty cooked last year for the Rams, for now, he’s starting as they wait for Hairston to return.  Maybe they should just see if Strong is the next Benford. Taron Johnson is their nickel and he’s excellent. The safeties are a work in progress with second year guy Cole Bishop and Taylor Rapp set to start. 

New England Patriots

Putting the Patriots second in this division is less about how good I think the Patriots will be and more about how bad I think the Dolphins and Jets might be.  Also, I am optimistic that the change from Jerod Mayo to Mike Vrabel will have a substantial effect on the record of the Patriots.  Vrabel is an excellent head coach who brought in a capable offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels and the overall changes to the coaching staff cannot be overlooked.  Last year’s coaching staff was a travesty and Vrabel brings credibility to the franchise.

On offense the entire focus is finding ways to support the development of QB Drake Maye.  Even under the worst of circumstances (his o-line and WRs) last season, Maye showed why they have confidence in him.  He has all the skills necessary to be a true franchise QB and they just have to give him a pathway. The WR corps last season was horrid.  They signed Stefon Diggs to be the WR1 for Maye.  Diggs is 31 and coming off an ACL repair but he was fully cleared to practice to start training camp so that’s a good sign.  The team also drafted Kyle Williams in round three and he’s a talented playmaker with some speed, something this team sorely needs, he is however, a project.  WR Demario Douglas was a Maye favorite when he was healthy last season and is the starter in the slot, they also kept undrafted free agent WR Efton Chism III just in case Douglas misses time again.  While they wait for Kyle Williams to progress they will count on free agent Mack Hollins to be steadying force and I would keep an eye on Kayshon Boutte.  Boutte became the one guy Maye started to count on at the end of last season when Douglas was out.  He could be a sleeper for this unit. 

The other major issue was the offensive line which was one of the three worst in the league last year.  LT was a massive problem so the team drafted Will Campbell fourth overall and while his arms may not be ideal length, Campbell is a massive upgrade on the blind side.  They team also signed C Garrett Bradbury and RT Morgan Moses as veteran free agents.  Bradbury isn’t great but he’s competent which puts him about five levels above last year’s centers.  Moses is 34 but he’s a mainstay at RT and Demontrey Jacobs, last year’s starter, was the worst starting OT in the NFL, and thankfully they cut him at the end of camp.  RG Michael Onwenu had a tough year even though he’s the best o-lineman they had.  He will be more than thankful to have competent players lined up around him.  LG Cole Strange returned late last season after an injury and played guard and center but he couldn’t even hold on to a roster spot, he’s gone too.  He was one of the last epic draft failures of Belichick’s era.  Rookie Jared Wilson is penciled in as he starting LG for now.  He was drafted as a center but isn’t ready for that responsibility.  He seems like their best option at LG which means it’s two rookies protecting Maye’s blindside, that’s concerning. It’s still less concerning than last year’s plan. 

The running game will start with Rhamondre Stevenson but his hold on the starting job is tenuous at best.  He has had fumbling problems in his career and Mike Vrabel is going to value ball security.  They team drafted Treyveon Henderson in round two and he’s an electric playmaker.  He isn’t really built to be a high-volume RB but he can handle a large part of the load if Stevenson proves unreliable.  Henderson is going to take the job eventually, it’s a matter of when not if.    

As bad as the offense was last season the defense was just as atrocious and they didn’t have the promise of Drake Maye to hold on to.  The closest thing was CB Christian Gonzalez, I’ll get to him in a minute.  The team spent most of their free agent money on defense and up front they signed the most expensive DL they could in Milton Williams.  Williams was excellent for the Super Bowl Champion Eagles last season and the good news is he’s 26 and could get even better.  They hope they get to pair him up front with Christian Barmore who missed last season with blood clots.  Barmore has been healthy this preseason and he and Williams will be a really tough duo at DT.  Those two are going to flank NT Khyiris Tonga, another free agent signing.  Tonga is a run stuffing machine, something they sorely needed.

The Patriots will mostly play a 3-4 defense but Keion White gives them some versitility.  He had a good rookie year two years ago and last year was so-so with that coaching staff.  He’s a good player that Vrabel and new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will get the best out of.  The team signed former Titan Harold Landry to be one OLB because he was a long-time starter for Vrabel in Tennessee.  The other spot looked like it was White’s to lose but he seems to have lost it to K’Lavon Chaisson, another free agent.  Chaisson resurrected his career with a solid back half of last season in Las Vegas.  He’s looked good in camp and has earned his spot.  Anfernee Jennings is back just in case they need a run-stuffing edge guy. 

The ILB spots needed some updating with the new defensive scheme Vrabel wants.  Belichick’s defenses were built with old school big, physical LBs like Juwan Bentley.  Vrabel wants speed and skill.  Christian Ellis was thrown into the lineup last year due to injury but wasn’t a great fit for it.  He’s a far better fit for Vrabel’s defense.  They team also signed Robert Spillane who is definitely built to be a part of this new unit.  Spillane has asserted himself as a leader in the middle and he’s going to be a favorite for fans and the coaches.   

If the defense has anything close to its own Drake Maye in terms of a guy will great upside, it’s CB Christian Gonzalez.  He has top five CB in the NFL type talent.  He’s big, physical, and can run.  He’s sat out most of camp with a hamstring issue but hopefully he’ll be ready to start the year.  The team decided to complement him with Carlton Davis in free agency.  That gives the Patriots two big, outside man coverage corners, perfect for this defense.  Marcus Jones will look to stay healthy to be the slot guy.

Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers were the starting safeties of this team for a couple of years but they were Belichick safeties, big, physical, and slow.  They didn’t cover the way Vrabel wants his safeties to cover.  Dugger has been demoted and Peppers was released just after rosters were cut down.   It looks like the Patriots are going with rookie Craig Woodson and holdover Jaylinn Hawkins.  Hawkins wasn’t physical enough for the Belichick/Mayo defenses but he works just fine for Vrabel.  Vrabel may have learned under Belichick but he’s been far more progressive in updating his style of defense to work against modern defenses.  LBs and safeties have to be fast and be able to cover. 

New York Jets

The Jets are upgrading the coaching staff with Aaron Glenn coming in as head coach and after watching the Jets last year I can’t imagine OC Tanner Engstrand and DC Steve Wilks could be worse than last year’s coordinators.  The Jets have been a wandering ship for a few years and now they have a whole new front office and coaching staff, that can’t be a bad thing.

You don’t have to feel great about Justin Fields as a QB to think he’ll still be better than Aaron Rodgers was last season.  Rodgers played like a guy who didn’t want to be on the team or play football anymore.  Fields is an elite athlete who can at least make the running game great and he and WR Garrett Wilson should find a rhythm pretty easily.  They played together in college and Wilson was clearly not on the same page as Rodgers last year.  He has the ability to be a true WR1, it’s the rest of the receiving corps that could be an issue.  Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard are likely the next two guys, that’s not ideal.  They are also counting heavily on rookie Mason Taylor to give them legitimate play at TE. 

The running game suffered from an underwhelming season from Breece Hall and the fact that no defenses feared the passing game.  Fields probably doesn’t make teams fear the passing game but he adds a running element from the QB position that will change defenses.  They need Hall to rebound from a lackluster year and if he doesn’t he risks losing his job to Braelon Allen who had a good rookie season last year.

The offensive line is getting much younger and likely healthier.  Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses are gone at OT as Olu Fashanu takes over at LT and rookie Armond Membou takes the RT job.  There will be growing pains with two young guys but these are two very talented young guys.  The interior of the line has plenty of talent with LG John Simpson, C Joe Tippmann, and RG Alijah Vera-Tucker.  If they are healthy (looking at you AVT) they are good there.  Former Lions assistant Tanner Engstrand becomes a first-time play calling OC for this team.  If he can design a run game anything like Ben Johnson did in Detroit, this offense will at least run the ball well.

Aaron Glenn will have his hand on this defense but he also brought in a veteran defensive coordinator in Steve Wilks.  Wilks’ tenure with the 49ers was short and unsuccessful two years ago but he’s been good before, he’s a better fit here.  The front is built around DT Quinnen Williams who is a star.  He needs more help inside than he got last year and they signed Derrick Nnadi in free agency but he was so bad in camp they traded him back to the Chiefs.  Then they traded for Harrison Phillips from Minnesota and are plugging him in next to Williams. They also got new backups, Byron Cowart and Jay Tufele.  The ends will be Jermaine Johnson, returning from injury and Will McDonald IV.  McDonald is still an undersized speed rusher but they don’t have much behind these two.  The good news is LB Quincy Williams is excellent and gives them a dynamic playmaker, he’s a great blitzer.  MLB Jamien Sherwood stepped up last season and played really well, they rewarded him with a new contract.    

The secondary is going to have some new blood and the new guys they hope Aaron Glenn can get the best out of.  They signed Brandon Stephens to replace DJ Reed and that’s a downgrade looking at how those two played last season.  Stephens may need to fend off rookie Azareye’h Thomas to hold one CB spot.  S Andre Cisco steps in at free safety and he’s a talented player.  CB Sauce Gardner is the CB1 and while his second season wasn’t as good as his rookie year, he’s still one of the better CBs in football.  SS Tony Adams is penciled in as the starter but he may have to hold off rookie Malachi Moore.  The nickel spot is Michael Carter II but they have some depth with Isaiah Oliver having experience too. 

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins went 8-9 last year and the vibes weren’t great on that team.  Tua missed six games but at this point you have to assume he’s going to miss some time.  Mike McDaniel lost some of his luster as an offensive genius and the QB moves they made were to sign Zack Wilson and draft Quinn Ewers in the round seven, not sure that helps if Tua goes down again.  They didn’t do much on defense and what they did do, might not help. 

Tua is the straw that stirs the drink but in five years he’s played a full season once.  Last year the passing game fell off a cliff and Tyreek Hill had about half the receiving yardage he had the year before.  He’s 31 and guys who rely on their speed the way he relies on his speed can hit an age cliff quickly.  I don’t think he’s done but I don’t think he’s getting better.  They need Jaylen Waddle to step up to the WR1 role and I’m not sure that’s really him. They signed Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to be their third WR but technically he’s still behind Malik Washington.  They have tried this a couple of times, getting some middling free agent for the role and it hasn’t worked yet.  They traded TE Jonnu Smith just before camp, he was one of their best pass catchers last season and they replaced him with Darren Waller, who’s coming out of retirement.  Waller wasn’t very good for several years before he retired so that’s not great. 

De’Von Achane is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands and they did a great job of using him last year in the passing game.  They nearly tripled his receptions and he was great.  The problem came with them doubling his carries and his yards/carry dropped nearly in half.  He’s not built to carry the ball 250 times a season, last year he was just over 200 carries.  That is probably where they should keep him.  They were hoping Jaylen Wright or Alexander Mattison could take some of those carries but both of them are hurt, it’s a theme with Miami RBs.  That leaves rookie Ollie Gordon to be the guy.  I like Gordon but he had a very rough year at Oklahoma St. last year and I’m not sure what he’s going to be.    

The offensive line is getting a new look.  LT Patrick Paul will become the full-time starter with Terron Armstead retiring.  They signed RG James McDaniels and drafted LG Jonah Savaiinaea in round two.  These three add some size to the line they need but will that actually make them better in McDaniels’ speed-based system. Paul is really a first-time starter and Savaiinaea is a rookie, that’s a whole new left side of the line.  Aaron Brewer is undersized at center and it will help him to have the heft surrounding him but he’s really just a guy.  RT Austin Jackson has been their most consistent lineman for a few years and he was hurt during camp and didn’t play much. 

The defense is where I can see some real problems for this team.  The defensive line has Zach Seiler, who’s really good, but other than that, they need rookies to really show up.  Kenneth Grant was their first-round pick and he starts immediately, he actually looked good in the preseason.  He has some holes in his game so he’s going to be challenged against NFL offensive linemen.  NT Benito Jones is big man in the middle but he’s not great.  Rookies Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers should get every chance to play. 

The pass rush comes from the OLBs.  Bradley Chubb and Jaelen Phillips were injured last season and were non-factors.  They need both of them back and healthy or it’s going to be a long year.  Chop Robinson had a solid season as a rookie but they can’t put that much on him again. They don’t have any depth if Chubb or Phillips go down and they were so desperate they signed Matthew Judon, that’s a bad sign. ILB Jordyn Brooks is fine but it looks like Tyrel Dodson is just holding off Willie Gay Jr at the other spot, not sure that’s a good sign. 

The secondary is where things get really dicey.  The team traded CB Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers for S Minkah Fitzpatrick and while that helps the safety group a bit, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Ashtyn Davis are the other safeties, that’s not good.  Fitzpatrick improves the talent at safety but he’s a guy who’s known to freelance on the back end and if the talent around him is suspect, that’s going to cause issues.  The top players on the depth chart at CB are Storm Duck, Jason Marshall Jr., Rasul Douglas, Jack Jones, and Ethan Bonner.  Storm Duck was a rookie free agent last year, his backup Ethan Bonner is a rookie free agent from this year.  Douglas was signed after training camp and Jack Jones was only signed a couple of weeks ago.  Jason Marshall Jr. is the nickel and he was a fifth-round pick, this last April.  It’s rough and if the pass rush isn’t outstanding, this team isn’t stopping any passing game in the league.  The Dolphins were smart to sign Douglas, I thought they should have signed him a month ago.  They also picked up Jack Jones off the scrapheap, he might be okay. They did make one pickup that could really help, maybe, potentially. They claimed JuJu Brents off waivers after the Colts cut him. Brents has been injured most of the last two seasons. However, if he gets healthy, he might be the most talented CB on the roster.  This secondary is in for a long year unless this team gets 80 sacks. 

2025 AFC East Draft Review

Buffalo Bills

(30) Maxwell Hairston CB Kentucky
(41) TJ Sanders DT South Carolina
(72) Landon Jackson DE Arkansas
(109) Deone Walker DT Kentucky
(170) Jordan Hancock CB Ohio St.
(173) Jackson Hawes TE Georgia Tech
(177) Dorian Strong CB Virginia Tech
(206) Chase Lundt OT UConn
(240) Kaden Prather WR Maryland

Immediate Impact: CB Maxwell Hairston

When your roster is as good as the Bills roster, you don’t get a lot of rookies who crack the lineup. Unless your CB depth chart looks this one than Maxwell Hairston has a chance to start. Christian Benford is coming off an injury and they needed help so much they brought back Tre’Davious White, who is coming off a pretty rough year. Hairston wasn’t my favorite CB in this class but he’s a major upgrade for the Bills opposite Benford.

Best Value: DE Landon Jackson

Somehow a 6’6 264 lbs. DE fell all the way to round three for the Bills. Jackson had a good year at Arkansas and while he’s a little stiff, he’s still a productive pass rusher. He’ll be a part of the rotation with Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa, and Joey Bosa and if I were a betting man, I would bet he plays in more games than Bosa.

Sleeper: CB Dorian Strong

Christian Benford was a sixth-round pick in 2022 and he turned out to be an excellent CB. The Bills may have pulled it off again. While Hairston gets the name recognition as the first-round pick, Strong could also develop into a good CB. He has more size and plays physical. While he doesn’t have Hairston’s elite speed, he was plenty fast for a CB with a 4.5 40.

Overall Analysis

This team knows it’s offense will be fine as long as Josh Allen is running it so they went defense with the first five picks. Hairston fills a major need while the next three picks focused on the defensive line. They traded up to get DT TJ Sanders in round two. He will give them a nice rotational piece inside. Jackson gives them another DE for the rotation. DT Deone Walker is a lottery ticket. He’s 6’7 331 lbs. and yet he’s not a great run stopper. He probably needs a redshirt type of year. He could learn a lot from DaQuan Jones, he’s a similar type of big man who has been around a long time. Jones is the run stuffer next to Ed Oliver, they need Walker to pick up his game.

The Bills then took CB Jordan Hancock from Ohio St. because they really understood the assignment, fix the secondary. Between Hairston, Hancock, and Strong, one of them should be good. They got some depth pieces on offense with TE Jackson Hawes, OT Chase Lundt, and WR Kaden Prather. I wouldn’t necessarily expect any of those three to make the roster but Hawes could be their blocking TE. Prather has been compared to a poor man’s Keon Coleman but I’m not sure that was a compliment.

Nitpick or Concern: The Deone Walker pick in round four. They definitely needed some interior defensive line help and I can understand thinking a man of his stature is worth the risk, but this team is trying to win now. Walker didn’t have a good year last year and he needs work. There were DTs on the board who could help now. If you wanted a interior pass rusher, Ty Robinson or Cam Jackson were available. A run stuffer? CJ West and Yahya Black were on the board.

Miami Dolphins

(13) Kenneth Grant DT Michigan
(37) Jonah Savaiinaea OG Arizona
(143) Jordan Phillips DL Maryland
(150) Jason Marshall Jr. CB Florida
(155) Dante Trader Jr. S Maryland
(179) Ollie Gordon II RB Oklahoma St.
(231) Quinn Ewers QB Texas
(253) Zeek Biggers DL Georgia Tech

Immediate Impact: DT Kenneth Grant, G Jonah Savaiinaea, DL Jordan Phillips

Give the Dolphins credit, they understood their assignment too. They needed help on the lines, especially the defensive line, and they attacked it. DT Kenneth Grant becomes an immediate starter at NT and he’s a major upgrade. Then they traded up in round two and took Savaiinaea who will start at guard. I’m not sure spending draft capital to move up was the smartest decision but getting a new starting guard was smart. Usually a fifth-round DT wouldn’t be an immediate impact guy but they need bodies on the defensive line and Phillips can play. He will get into the rotation and could play a lot given his skill set.

Best Value: QB Quinn Ewers

Ewers was clearly not for everyone but he’s still a talented QB. He’s also good enough to beat out Zach Wilson for the backup job and being the backup QB in Miami means you may have to play. Getting a QB with Ewers talent in round seven is good value.

Sleeper: RB Ollie Gordon II

The Dolphins have De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright, both are lean, speed backs and they signed Alexander Mattison to be a bigger body. Mattison has never been all that good but Gordon was very good two years ago. He had a rough year last year like everyone at Oklahoma St. but he’s got great size and power. He would be a great compliment to the Achane and Wright.

Overall Analysis

The Dolphins did a good job of addressing their most pressing needs, both lines. Grant, Savaiinaea, and Phillips are all going to get plenty of playing time, but they aren’t the only ones. CB Jason Marshall Jr. was taken in round five but they are in desperate need of CB help and that’s before they have even traded Jalen Ramsey. Marshall looks the part of an NFL CB, now he has to play like one. S Dante Trader Jr. will also have a chance at playing time. The safety room isn’t much better than the CB one. Gordon and Ewers are talented players who might be guys who develop into useful guys. DT Zeek Biggers is big enough to help at DT, he just needs to work on his development too.

Nitpick or Concern: Trading up to get Jonah Savaiinaea cost them some early draft capital and while they needed a guard, they could have used the extra pick to get a better CB prospect too. I’m not Savaiinaea is so much better at guard than the next guy that it was worth hurting your chances at CB. They need CB help badly.

New England Patriots

(4) Will Campbell OT LSU
(38) TreVeyon Henderson RB Ohio St.
(69) Kyle Williams WR Washington St.
(95) Jared Wilson C Georgia
(106) Craig Woodson S California
(137) Joshua Farmer DT Florida St.
(146) Bradyn Swinson Edge LSU
(182) Andres Borregales K Miami
(220) Marcus Bryant OT Missouri
(251) Julian Ashby LS Vanderbilt
(257) Kobee Minor CB Memphis

Immediate Impact: LT Will Campbell, RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Kyle Williams, K Andres Borregales

Yes, Will Campbell is the LT, he will be the immediate starter there and Drake Maye can feel confident his blindside is well protected. Henderson is going to be the juiced-up version of James White in Josh McDaniels’s offense. He’s an electric runner who gives this offense some actual playmaking in the backfield. Rhamondre Stevenson is still going to be the primary back for now because Henderson isn’t an every down guy, but Henderson is going to play a lot.

WR Kyle Williams is a welcome addition to a WR group devoid of playmakers. He’s a little undersized but he knows how to get separation better than almost every receiver on the Patriots roster. He also has downfield ability they lack and should make for a great target for Drake Maye.

Borregales was a necessary pick, they have been wandering in the kicker wasteland since the end of the Stephen Gostkowski era about five years ago. Normally I don’t like taking kickers and this has backfired on the Patriots before, hello Chad Ryland, but this was a sixth-round pick not a fourth and it was their eighth pick out of 11 overall picks. This team isn’t going to be great this year but they are going to be competitive and having a good kicker is going to keep them in games.

Best Value: C Jared Wilson

The Patriots traded down in round three with the second pick they had and ended up taking Wilson with the 95th pick. Wilson was the best pure center in the draft with Grey Zabel being the only prospect ranked a head of him at the position and Zabel didn’t play the position in college. Wilson was only a one-year starter at Georgia but he was pretty good and he will give Garrett Bradbury a run for the money to start at center. My money would be on Bradbury for this year because Vrabel will likely stick with the veteran, but Wilson could make it a tough choice.

Sleeper: Edge Bradyn Swinson

I had the Patriots taking Swinson in the third round of my mock draft and they ended up with him in round five. He isn’t an elite edge player because he doesn’t play the run all that well but he has elite pass rushing potential. The Patriots won’t ask him to play on run downs so they can mitigate his weaknesses while adding his pass rush ability to their defense. They need pass rush juice and Swinson has it.

Overall Analysis

I’m not the only one saying this but the Patriots had a terrific draft. The first four picks; Campbell, Henderson, Williams, and Wilson, were all guys taken to support Drake Maye, good strategy. The team spent free agent money on defense and draft capital on offense. When you have a good young QB, you want an offense that will grow with him. These guys could be long-term players around Maye as he grows into the QB he’s going to be over the next five years.

The next three picks were on defense and address areas of need. S Craig Woodson is a hybrid player who could be used as a nickel back and a safety. The Patriots starting safeties are Kyle Duggar, coming off a rough year, and Jabrill Peppers, guy got arrested last year. Both those players are aging and expensive. Woodson gives them a different skill set and some youth. He also gives them a bigger body and probably a healthier one at nickel than Marcus Jones. Farmer give them another penetrating DT to play in the rotation with Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. He fits the attacking interior DT type they want on defense. Edge Bradyn Swinson I already covered, well worth the pick.

I’m not usually a fan of drafting a kicker but like I mentioned the team had 11 picks, it’s hard for that many rookies to make any roster. Using one on a really good kicker when you don’t have a kicker isn’t a bad move. OT Marcus Bryant is a bet on a guy who has all the measurables you want at OT (namely the length Campbell doesn’t have) but isn’t nearly that good. He’s a project.

Nitpick or Concern: As universally loved as this draft was, I am going to nitpick the last two picks. They took a long snapper four picks before TE Luke Lachey was picked in round seven by the Texans. The Patriots ha Joe Cardona at LS (they have now released him), they need a developmental TE, and long snappers generally don’t get drafted, they get signed after the draft. The Patriots also had the last pick in the draft and took CB Kobbe Minor, a guy who has virtually no chance of making this roster. They could have drafted Lachey and then taken a long snapper with Mr. Irrelevant. It’s a tiny nitpick but if Lachey actually becomes a decent TE in the NFL, I’m going to remember this.

New York Jets

(7) Armand Membou OT Missouri
(42) Mason Taylor TE LSU
(73) Azareye’h Thomas CB Florida St.
(110) Arian Smith WR Georgia
(130) Malachi Moore DB Alabama
(162) Francisco Mauigoa LB Miami
(176) Tyler Baron Edge Miami

Immediate Impact: RT Armand Membou, TE Mason Taylor

The Jets got off to a good start getting two immediate starters in Membou and Taylor. Membou slides right in to the RT spot vacated by Morgan Moses and he and Olu Fashanu make nice bookend OTs for the at least the next few years. Taylor is the type of TE who does everything well and nothing at an elite level. On this team, that means he starts. He’s better than every TE they have, and it’s not particularly close.

Best Value: CB Azareye’h Thomas

Thomas was a good player at Florida St. and was rising on draft boards until he went out and ran a slow 40 time and his rise immediately stopped. He’s not fast, but he’s got good height and length and he’s tough. He was a steal in the third round and with Aaron Glenn as his coach, I would bet he reaches his ceiling as a player. If I were Brandon Stephens, their free agent CB signing, I’d be looking over my shoulder.

Sleeper: DB Malachi Moore

Moore was at one time a freshman starter on Nick Saban’s Alabama defense, that usually means good things. He never lived up to that high standard but he was a good player for Alabama. He’s played some in the nickel but he’s best at safety. The Jets’ starting safeties right now are Tony Adams and Andre Cisco, if you tell me Moore is starting by week six, I’ll believe it. He’s another guy who will benefit from playing for Aaron Glenn.

Overall Analysis

Membou, Taylor, and Thomas are great picks and they are going to make the Jets better this season. They aren’t turning the whole thing around but they are some foundational pieces moving forward. The team needed to get better at WR but they pick Arian Smith instead. Smith is a speed demon but he’s not a good receiver. Mauigoa and Baron are back of the depth chart dart throws trying to find some developmental pieces in the front seven. Athletic guys the Jets are taking a chance on.

Nitpick or Concern: The WR depth chart is rough behind Garrett Wilson so Smith could make the team but I wouldn’t be surprised if they get him on the practice field and decide he needs the year on the practice squad, at minimum. The next three WRs off the board were Jaylin Lane, Jalen Royals, and Elic Ayomanor, all three of those guys are better prospects and would help this team sooner. I also think guys like Tory Horton and KeAndre Lambert-Smith offer more upside than Smith.