The New England Patriots are entering unprecedented waters in 2023. Coming off their second losing season in the last three years, future Hall of Fame head coach Bill Belichick is facing a different kind of pressure. He’s 30 wins behind Don Shula for the most wins of all time, but his relationship with owner Robert Kraft has been described as “icy.”
We have an all-encompassing Patriots season preview now that the 2023 NFL Draft is over. Below, you’ll find the Patriots’ projected depth chart, roster changes, and season predictions.
Everything You Need Ahead of the Patriots 2023 NFL Season
The Patriots were able to add some familiar names to their offense, but the biggest change may be on the sidelines.
After suffering through an inept offensive scheme run by Joe Judge and Matt Patricia in 2022, the Patriots were able to reunite quarterback Mac Jones with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien from Alabama. That could be the most notable non-head coach hiring all year.
Patriots Roster Changes
- Players Acquired
- TE Mike Gesicki
- WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
- RT Riley Reiff
- RB James Robinson
- Players Drafted
- CB Christian Gonzalez
- EDGE Keion White
- S Marte Mapu
- G Jake Andrews
- K Chad Ryland
- OL Sidy Sow
- OL Atonio Mafi
- WR Kayshon Boutte
- P Bryce Baringer
- WR Demario Douglas
- CB Ameer Speed
- CB Isaiah Bolden
- Players Lost
- WR Jakobi Meyers
- TE Jonnu Smith
- WR Nelson Agholor
- P Jake Bailey
- RB Damien Harris
Patriots Coaching Staff in 2023
- Head coach: Bill Belichick
- Offensive Coordinator: Bill O’Brien (hired this offseason)
- QB coach: Joe Judge
- RB coach: Vinnie Sunseri
- OL coach: Evan Rothstein
- WR coach: Troy Brown
- TE coach: Nick Caley
- Assistant OL coach: Billy Yates
- Offensive assistant: Tyler Hughes
- Defensive Coordinators: Steven Belichick and Jerod Mayo
- DL coach: Demarcus Covington
- LB coach: Steve Belichick
- LB coach: Jerod Mayo
- Safeties coach: Brian Belichick
- Cornerbacks coach: Mike Pellegrino
- Special Teams Coordinator: Cameron Achord
- Assistant special teams coach: Joe Houston
Predicting the Patriots Depth Chart
- QB: Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Trace McSorley
- RB: Rhamondre Stevenson, Pierre Strong Jr., Kevin Harris, Ty Montgomery
- WR: DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne
- TE: Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Matt Sokol, Johnny Lumpkin
- LT: Trent Brown, Calvin Anderson
- LG: Cole Strange, Sidy Sow
- C: David Andrews, Jake Andrews
- RG: Mike Onwenu, Atonio Mafi, Chasen Hines
- RT: Riley Reiff, Conor McDermott, Yodney Cajuste
- DE: Deatrich Wise Jr., Keion White
- DT: Christian Barmore, Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy Sr., Carl Davis, Daniel Ekuale
- EDGE: Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, Ronnie Perkins, Anfernee Jennings
- LB: Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai, Mack Wilson Sr., Raekwon McMillan, Marte Mapu
- CB: Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones, Myles Bryant
- S: Jalen Mills, Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers
- K: Chad Ryland
- P: Bryce Baringer
2022 Results and Standings
The 2022 season was a frustrating experience for the entire Patriots’ roster. Despite bringing back the majority of their team from the previous season and Mac Jones entering Year 2, the Patriots produced 98 fewer offensive points and gave up 44 more points on defense. Though the defense was among the toughest in the league, the offense sputtered.
There were stretches where backup quarterback Bailey Zappe appeared to be a better fit for the unit than Jones. However, between the lack of explosiveness at receiver when Tyquan Thornton was hurt and the predictability of play-calling, neither passer had a chance to succeed. Every drive was disjointed, unable to take advantage of what talent was available to them.
There were some individual bright spots, of course.
Rhamondre Stevenson separated himself as the star of the offense, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and catching 69 passes on the year. Thornton looked like a potential building block on the 22 receptions he hauled in. Parker averaged 17.4 yards per reception, and Jakobi Meyers was a solid possession threat.
The defense was more interesting despite featuring an unconventional setup. Matt Judon continued to play at an All-Pro level, and Josh Uche turned in the quietest 11.5-sack season in recent memory. Belichick made the secondary work with each of his top-four corners standing no taller than 5’10”.
But the unit failed to receive anywhere near the support they needed. The offense ranked No. 2 in starting field position but only 23rd in scoring rate and 29th in plays ran.
2023 Power Ranking and Season Outlook
PFN Analyst Dalton Miller has the Patriots ranked No. 20 in his post-2023 NFL Draft power rankings, despite the team addressing some of their key concerns. Adding O’Brien and Gonzalez not only improves the offense’s schematic upside but also brings much-needed size and physicality at cornerback for the defense. The problem for New England is the rest of their moves leave a lot of room for improvement.
Swapping out Meyers for Smith-Schuster was problematic because the latter looked much slower in Kansas City last year than earlier in his career. The Patriots paid for his name brand and production that had less to do with his talent and more to do with his situation and opportunity. It’s great he loves “doing the dirty work,” but a receiving corps with Smith-Schuster and Parker is physically limited.
The offense will need to evolve to feature Thornton, sixth-round rookie Kayshon Boutte, and even Kendrick Bourne more often. Each brings speed to the table, which is incredibly valuable against both zone and man coverages. O’Brien routinely relied on speed to win at Alabama.
The offensive unit can be respectable if they rotate their receivers and new addition Mike Gesicki effectively. The ground game should once again be a strength behind a tough, powerful set of linemen who are much better at run blocking than at pass protection. Jones will have to endure another season behind two subpar tackles, so that’s a decision that’ll likely haunt the team all season.
Nevertheless, being stuck in the AFC East with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets is a difficult task. The Patriots are rarely an easy foe, and they can win because of their tactical prowess, but there’s no doubt they’re the worst team in the division from a playmaking standpoint.
My prediction is the Patriots again finish under .500, and we see Belichick’s tenure in New England come to an end.
