The New England Patriots entered the 2022 offseason following a strong 10-7 record and a playoff berth in the AFC. At one point, the Patriots looked like legitimate contenders for the Super Bowl led by rookie quarterback Mac Jones, though the team was exposed in a brutal playoff loss to the division rival Buffalo Bills. Aside from looking overmatched on defense, the loss also showed the Patriots that they needed more firepower on offense. The Patriots brought back restricted free agent wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who has shown promise as a playmaker in New England's system. However, as it stands, the Patriots' wide receiver room features Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor. It's a speedy receiver room but it's also one that lacks a true threat for defenses to fear. If the Patriots are serious about the development of second-year pro Mac Jones, they need to devote more resources to the wide receiver spot. It's the single biggest need remaining for New England after the first week of the 2022 NFL free agency period.

The Patriots need more firepower at the wide receiver spot. While Meyers could evolve into a number-one wideout, it's more likely that he excels as a solid secondary option behind an established wideout. New England didn't have a single 1000-yard receiver last season, which is a little misleading given the run-heavy offense ran by the team. However, that statistic speaks to the fact that the Patriots really don't have any wideouts that keep defensive coordinators up at night.

Even in a run-heavy offense, that's a problem. It's an issue that was apparent after the Patriots' playoff loss to the Bills. Buffalo essentially sold out to stop New England's running game and forced Jones to beat them- he was unable to do so. This was with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels calling the plays. McDaniels is now in Las Vegas, which means that the Patriots will not only have to get even more creative, but they'll have to simply be better from a personnel standpoint to make up for losing such an adept play-caller.

Addressing the wideout spot after the first week of the 2022 NFL free agency period makes too much sense for the Pats. With receivers such as Julio Jones and Jarvis Landry available, New England needs to open up their checkbook and pay one of those veteran options. If the Patriots whiff on Jones or Landry, they still have the NFL Draft, which is loaded with receiver prospects, as a fallback option.

Names such as Jameson Williams or Treylon Burks would make sense for the Patriots at the back end of the draft. Ultimately, New England must provide Jones with some more weapons to help the offense compete with a now-loaded AFC. Can the Patriots, as presently constructed, really compete with the likes of the Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos or Los Angeles Chargers if forced to go head-to-head in an offensive battle?

It's hard to see New England having success in such a game environment, which could be more likely in 2022 than ever before, given how much better the AFC got. The Patriots can help themselves out in a big way by providing their offense with another playmaking wide receiver through free agency or the draft.