The New England Patriots are entering a new era under head coach Mike Vrabel. New England's front office put in a lot of effort adding new players this offseason. It seems they may have overdone it at the wide receiver position.

The Patriots could have a vicious wide receiver battle during mandatory minicamp, per ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Reiss noted that the Patriots have 12 receivers under contract heading into mandatory minicamp. He believes that only six of those receivers will make the final roster.

“Veterans Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, third-year slot DeMario Douglas and 2025 third-round pick Kyle Williams are viewed as safe,” Reiss wrote. “So that leaves a projected two spots for the remaining group that includes nine-year veteran Kendrick Bourne, third-year pro Boutte, 2024 draft picks Ja'Lynn Polk (second round) and Javon Baker (fourth round), and undrafted free agent Efton Chism III, among others.”

Reiss noted that every receiver brings something to the table, which should lead to an exciting competition.

“Spring is often about building momentum for the start of training camp in late July, and each within that group has done something notable to set the stage for what looks like a spirited competition,” Reiss concluded.

The Patriots have been hard at work sculpting the roster into Mike Vrabel's image. Now it seems he'll have the pick of the litter at wide receiver.

Could the Patriots be in for a bounce-back season in 2025?

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to throw against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Gillette Stadium.
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Could the Patriots be frisky during Vrabel's first year as head coach?

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ESPN's certainly seems to think so. Aaron Schatz released an article on Thursday ranking the NFL's most likely worst-to-first teams ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

New England came in third on that list.

Schatz argued that QB Drake Maye is one big reason for optimism.

“ESPN's stats believe in Drake Maye,” Schatz wrote. “He finished 17th among qualifying quarterbacks with a 58.6 QBR in 2024, as QBR attempts to separate the quarterback from his surroundings.”

Schatz acknowledged all of New England's offseason additions as well. It is currently unknown how much they will help Maye win games, but it is easy to imagine some improvement either way.

“The surroundings are supposed to be better this season, but how much better are they? There are a lot of new faces in New England, which starts with an improvement at head coach in Mike Vrabel,” Schatz concluded.

It will be exciting to see how competitive the new-look Patriots are later this fall.