The New England Patriots made significant strides in building an elite group of playmakers around Drake Maye, yet ESPN’s latest rankings don’t fully reflect that progress.
Last week, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell released his annual rankings of the NFL’s offensive playmaking groups. He evaluated each team’s running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends using projected 2026 performance, injury history, a heavier emphasis on wide receivers, and a focus on each team’s top-five contributors.
The New England Patriots ranked much more favorably in 2026 than they did in 2025, but should have been placed even higher on the list than they were.
How It Is
Jun 2, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) runs with the ball during the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesNew England took a massive leap forward from 30th overall in 2025 to crack the top 10 this year. Still, 10th overall feels far too low — especially when considering some of the teams ranked ahead of the Patriots. Here’s how Barnwell’s top 10 shook out:
10. New England Patriots
9. Philadelphia Eagles
8. Minnesota Vikings
7. Dallas Cowboys
6. Arizona Cardinals
5. San Francisco 49ers
4. Atlanta Falcons
3. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Los Angeles Rams
1. Detroit Lions
Based on Barnwell's criteria, there’s clearly room to move things around — and New England should sit well above several teams currently ranked ahead of them.
The Eagles dropped eight spots after trading A.J. Brown to the Patriots. On a list that puts heavy weight on wide receivers, losing the best receiver in franchise history apparently wasn’t enough for the team that acquired him to leapfrog Philadelphia.
Minnesota’s placement seems driven almost entirely by Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. T.J. Hockenson hasn’t been the same since his 2023 ACL tear, and the Vikings still lack stability at running back.
Dallas has a strong duo in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens out wide, and enjoyed breakout seasons from tight end Jake Ferguson and running back Javonte Williams in 2025. Their top four are difficult to argue with, even if Barnwell didn’t list a clear fifth contributor due to a massive drop-off in talent at that point.
The Cardinals at sixth overall feels… rich. Trey McBride is an elite tight end and Michael Wilson has been a pleasant surprise, but Marvin Harrison Jr. has largely disappointed in his first two seasons and Jeremiyah Love has yet to see a snap of real professional football. Their big spend at wide receiver this offseason was Kendrick Bourne. Arizona ranked 15th last year, and even with the addition of Love, shouldn’t be listed nearly as high as they are.
As for San Francisco, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and newcomer Mike Evans bring name recognition, but all three are on the wrong side of 30 and have dealt with major injuries. Kittle is recovering from a torn achilles and Evans from hamstring and collarbone injuries. Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk are gone, replaced by Christian Kirk and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling. Ricky Pearsall has been a wild card. While there is unquestionable talent on the 49ers’ offense, this feels more like a top-five group from 2020 than one in 2026.
Atlanta at fourth overall also seems high. Bijan Robinson makes a strong case as one of the NFL’s top running backs and Drake London has been dependable, but he hasn’t entered top-10 receiver conversations and the room it filled with questions behind him following the loss of Darnell Mooney in free agency. Kyle Pitts remains the king of “projected value” without a consistent productivity. 2025 was the best year yet for the trio, but fourth overall feels generous given their lack of sustained success.
Barnwell’s top three — the Bengals, Rams, and Lions — are much harder to dispute. Up until that point, however, the rankings contain plenty of holes.
How It Should Be
Jun 10, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) arrives at the practice field for minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesNow that it's been established why New England ranks too low on ESPN's list, here’s a more accurate ordering for the Patriots based on the same criteria:
10. Seattle Seahawks
9. Minnesota Vikings
8. Atlanta Falcons
7. Philadelphia Eagles
6. San Francisco 49ers
5. Dallas Cowboys
4. New England Patriots
3. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Detroit Lions
1. Los Angeles Rams
At first glance, fourth overall for New England feels aggressive. But re-examining Barnwell’s own criteria tells a different story.
Projected 2026 Performance
The Patriots’ 30th-place ranking in 2025 made sense after back-to-back 4-13 seasons and limited production, especially at wide receiver. Their Super Bowl LX run alone doesn’t justify jumping to fourth — it’s what they’ve done since.
New England added a top-10 wide receiver in A.J. Brown to pair with Drake Maye and upgraded the WR2 spot by signing Romeo Doubs. The rest of the receiving core returns from 2025, sans-Stefon Diggs. Hunter Henry is coming off a career year, Rhamondre Stevenson has returned to his dominant early form, and TreVeyon Henderson is expected to take another step forward.
Fresh off a Super Bowl appearance, the Patriots significantly upgraded an already promising group of skill players around their quarterback. The goal is clear: another deep playoff run in 2026. Now, they're properly equipped to make that a reality.
Injury History
New England’s top offensive contributors have been remarkably durable. Concerns about Brown’s knee were widely discussed during the trade process, yet they’ve seemingly never affected his availability. Henry has missed just one game over the last two seasons. Like most running backs, Stevenson has dealt with minor issues, but always returned to the lineup quickly. Henderson has yet to miss time in his young career.
For a list that factors in injury history, the Patriots’ core has been as consistently healthy as any team could reasonably expect.
Emphasis on Wide Receivers
This is where Barnwell’s list becomes inconsistent. If wide receivers carry heavier weight than running backs or tight ends, why is New England only 10th?
Barnwell himself noted: “As it stands, while this isn't the best wide receiver room in the league, it might be the deepest — albeit one in which Maye likely elevated talent and receiving efficiency across the board last season.”
With arguably the deepest receiving corps in the NFL — now led by a top-10 player at the position — New England checks the boxes for both elite talent and depth. What was once an obvious weakness has quickly become one of the team’s strongest assets. That should be reflected more prominently in the rankings.
Top-Five Contributors
Unlike several teams in Barnwell’s top 10, it’s easy to identify five legitimate contributors for the Patriots — and difficult to stop there without overlooking additional playmakers in Josh McDaniels’ gameplan-dependent scheme. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. A.J. Brown
2. Romeo Doubs
3. Hunter Henry
4. Rhamondre Stevenson
5. TreVeyon Henderson
Even without factoring in Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, or DeMario Douglas, New England has a stable, high-upside core — plus depth waiting behind them. The Patriots may not have the flashiest top-end talent in the AFC, but they have a strong argument as the conference’s deepest rotation of offensive skill players.
Looking Ahead
Jul 23, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) walks to the practice field for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesFor the second straight week, ESPN has placed the Patriots lower than expected on a preseason list, as the NFL Power Index previously ranked them as the seventh-best team in the AFC and 14th-best team in the league.
New England’s resurgence may have happened quickly, but this pattern would suggest that national pundants believe it will also be short-lived.
Or, there’s simply a continued reluctance to fully embrace it.
The pieces have changed, but the Patriots’ 2025 run and proactive offseason that followed have once again positioned them as legitimate contenders. For some, it appears that they’ll need to prove their merit on the field once again.
Where would you rank New England’s playmakers compared to the rest of the NFL? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.
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