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Notes and thoughts on the Drake Maye, the Patriots’ draft picks, and more.
The dust has officially settled on the 2025 NFL Draft, where the
New England Patriots added 11 players and an intriguing class of undrafted free agents. The focus now shifts back inside the building as the offseason programs continues under Mike Vrabel and Co.
To clean-up coverage from both the draft and the first week of Phase Two of the offseason program, welcome to our
Sunday Patriots Notes.
Pumped up
“Put great people around him.”
That was Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s response during his introductory press conference back in January when asked how he plans to support his 22-year old quarterback Drake Maye. Several months later with free agency and the NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, Vrabel stuck true to his plan.
Entering free agency with a league-high in cap space, the Patriots were aggressive in upgrading the roster. That included adding a handful of impact defenders across all three levels of the defense and a new starting right tackle for Maye in Morgan Moses. Many of the additions project as immediate contributors.
“I mean, I’m pumped,” Maye said Thursday about the team’s offseason. “I think a lot of new faces, a lot of guys, a lot of veterans who have played a high level. I think we kind of found answers in a lot of different spots that hopefully can plug and play. I think that’s what the point of free agency is: get good guys coming here and help us win, help us win now. And I think you add that in with some young talent that we’ve had in the past couple drafts, and I think hopefully we’re in the right direction.”
Following an initial wave of free agency that favored the defense, more support around Maye then came. That started at wide receiver as New England agreed to a three-year deal with former Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs.
While Diggs is not expected to be on the field during spring practices as he rehabs a torn ACL suffered last October, Maye is already looking forward to developing his connection with the veteran wideout.
“Shoot, Stefon, he was one of those guys growing up when I was in high school, he was young in the league. I had him on my fantasy team and things like that — playing with him in Madden,” Maye said. “It’s pretty cool to hopefully now in-season throw to him. He’s coming back obviously from injury. He’s doing great. He’s been around. It’s going to be cool to throw to a receiver who’s made plays like he has.
“He’s made big plays in playoff games and played in a lot of different schemes, played with high-level quarterbacks. Just to see his point of view. It’s my job to give him a chance and go get it.”
Weeks later, New England used their first four picks of the NFL Draft on the offensive side of the ball to further elevate Maye’s supporting cast. That included a pair of explosive playmakers and offensive lineman — where the fourth overall pick resulted in Maye’s new blindside protector, Will Campbell.
Shortly after being selected, Campbell made it known he was ready to “fight and die” to protect his quarterback moving forward.
“I listened to it live,” Maye said. “It gets you going, gets your juices going. I think it makes you want to go out there and play football now. Pumped that we picked Will. We got a chance to meet him when he flew in on Friday. Pumped to get things going. Obviously, he seems like a football player. That’s what you want around here.”
Beyond being a good football player, Campbell’s impact — like many of the other additions this offseason — will extend off the field as a former two-time captain at LSU who was credited for helping establish the team’s culture. It was just another example of Vrabel and Co. putting great people around Maye to make their plan a reality.
Leadership
Maye was put in an odd situation last season when it came to finding his voice as a leader as he began the season on the bench behind captain and veteran Jacoby Brissett. Once becoming the starter, Maye took on more and more responsibility — perhaps starting when he addressed the offense ahead of a midseason game against the Bears.
Speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, Eliot Wolf noted that leadership was an area Maye is expected to grow in this season. Throughout the Patriots voluntary offseason program, Maye’s teammates have seen him take that step.
“I mean, obviously, comes with the position and I’d like to hopefully call myself, this year, a leader. And I think working towards that, I think just earning the guys respect,” Maye said Thursday. “A lot of new faces in here, come in here and work hard and show those guys that we picked up in free agency or the rookies or guys we picked up just kind of my work ethic.
“Kind of start over from that standpoint. Show the coaches. Once you get new staff, new players, you want to show them, ‘Hey, it’s not relax time.’ I think once I’m going to be the starter, just keep things pushing forward and whether it’s saying more whether in walkthrough or little things like that, just kind of build that and not focus too much on it. Just hopefully, it comes natural.”
Meeting Ashby
With the release of Joe Cardona this week, seventh-round draft choice Julian Ashby now finds himself solely atop the long snapper depth chart. A former quarterback his freshman year of high school, Ashby started snapping in order to find his way onto the field the following season.
“I remember Coach [Roderick] Twyman, our running backs coach, he saw me try one and said, ‘You should probably keep practicing that. You might find a little bit of money to go to college and do this,’” Ashby recalled.
Eight years later, the 22-year old comes now finds himself snapping in New England. He comes in a different mold than his predecessor, as Ashby checks in nearly 20 pounds lighter than Cardona. But, Ashby is a strong athlete in general which allows him to quickly get downfield and make plays — something special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer specifically asks of his long snappers.
Suiting up
Mike Vrabel is no stranger to getting involved in drills as a head coach — often putting on a chest pad to engage in contact. Throughout the offseason program to date, Vrabel has taken roles at both linebacker and on special teams.
“You can see the football in him,” linebacker Christian Elliss said. “He’s just like sitting on sideline and like ‘No, I got to get in there.’ So he’s very hands-on and that’s what I love about him.”
Swinson’s ball
Find new Patriots pass rusher Bradyn Swinson and you will probably find him holding onto a football — even in places like the grocery store.
“I always get some type of reaction,” Swinson said. “They always look at me like I’m crazy. Like, ‘Okay, yeah, you must be obsessed or something.’ They’ll be like, ‘Is that your child or something?’ I just always have it. Bring it to the pool. Bring it anywhere.”
After transferring to LSU two seasons ago, Swinson observed quarterback Jayden Daniels carry his dream (the football) around everywhere. Daniels gave him a ball to do the same.
“I just believe the ball is the program,” he added. “When I started doing that, got to game days, everything started getting surreal. When you start punching the ball out of you, you’re used to seeing the ball. When you holding the ball so much, you get to know the different spots on the ball.”
Reading the board
In Eliot Wolf’s first draft in the head chair in 2024, the Patriots came out on the wrong side of many trade talks and positional runs. Four trades throughout draft weekend signaled a better read on the board this go around — like a pair of move downs in the third-round which ultimately netted New England center Jared Wilson, who was in consideration with the pick before trading down, and a future fourth-round selection.
Wolf’s front office also seemed to be on the right side of positional runs in the mid-rounds this go-around. Following the fourth-round selection of DT Joshua Farmer, four of the next six selections went along the interior defensive line. Three safeties were also taken in the fourth-round after New England drafted Craig Woodson.
Hall of Fame
The Patriots are currently scheduled to announce the 2025 inductee into the team's Hall of Fame early next week after fan voting closed on Wednesday.
The finalists included WR Julian Edelman, OG Logan Mankins, and K Adam Vinatieri.
Setting up the week ahead
The voluntary offseason program continues down at Gillette Stadium as the Patriots enter the second of three weeks of Phase 2. That allows for on-field workouts, individual or group instruction and drills all conducted at a walk-through pace with no contact.
