New England was recently ranked 25th in the NFL for players under the age of 25. The New England Patriots have a new head coach and a new first-round quarterback as they begin their post-Bill Belichick reconstruction. Drake Maye, who was picked third overall by the organization in April, was brought on as a franchise player at the sport’s most significant position.
While Maye has the most on-field impact in this process, the team’s fortunes do not rely solely on his shoulders. The Patriots’ other young players must also demonstrate adequate development in order for the team to return to winning ways after going five years without a postseason triumph.
Will the young talent be up to
task? According to a recent research by ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, who developed the now-defunct Football Outsiders, the Patriots rank only 25th in the NFL in terms of under-25 talent. While the age of 25 is an arbitrary cut-off that should be replaced by rookie contracts, it serves as the basis for the analysis. So, we’ll play by those rules as well.)
According to the Patriots’ current roster, 32 players will not turn 25 until after the regular season begins in early September.
21 years old: quarterback Drake Maye, ED Jotham Russell
Age: 22 years old. WR Javon Baker, WR Kayshon Boutte, CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Ja’Lynn Polk, WR David Wallis
23 years old: CB Alex Austin, TE Jaheim Bell, LB Steele Chambers, DB Marcellas Dial Jr., WR DeMario Douglas, RB Kevin Harris, RB Terrell Jennings, OL Atonio Mafi, S Dell Pettus, OL Layden Robinson, WR Tyquan Thornton, OL Charles Turner III
24 years old: OL Jake Andrews, CB Isaiah Bolden, RB Deshaun Fenwick, OT Zuri Henry, LB Jontrey Hunter, WR JaQuae Jackson, S Marte Mapu, QB Joe Milton III, ED John Morgan III, K Chad Ryland, CB Mikey Victor, OT Caedan Wallace, TE Jacob Warren
As a quick look at this list shows, the Patriots indeed lack superstar players fitting the age requirements for the ESPN analysis. The biggest names are Drake Maye, who has yet to take a snap for the organization, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez, whose 2023 rookie season ended due to a shoulder injury just four weeks in
Nonetheless, Maye and Gonzalez are players with revolutionary potential. The former is one of the most gifted passers the organization has ever had, with enormous potential to secure the quarterback position for years to come. In limited action last year, the latter shown lockdown cornerback performance and might emerge as a legitimate CB1 as early as his 2024 sophomore season.
Those two players alone have the talent and play the positions necessary to influence the franchise’s trajectory going ahead. The remainder of the list contains a couple possible gems as well.
Wide receivers DeMario Douglas and Ja’Lynn Polk have shown significant promise since joining the team in 2023 and 2024, respectively; Alex Austin may grow into a starter alongside Gonzalez.
Marte Mapu and Caedan Wallace, depending on their spring performances, could come into the mix at their respective positions and see extended action this season. Furthermore, players who narrowly missed out on under-25 qualification must be considered. For example, two players will turn 25 between now and the start of the 2024 season, therefore they were not included in the research.
While it remains to be seen what impact rookie cornerback Kaleb Ford-Dement will have, Christian Barmore is a starter at defensive tackle and one of the most disruptive interior linemen in the league; the Patriots signed him to a four-year, $84 million contract extension earlier this offseason—a show of confidence.
From the team’s perspective. Additionally, starters/key players such as edge defenders Keion White and Joshua Uche, cornerback Marcus Jones, center Cole Strange, and punter Bryce Baringer are all 25. They did not make the cut either, but may be considered “young talent” on New England’s current roster.
Overall, it’s clear why the Patriots are ranked in the bottom third of the analysis: they have skill in this area, but it’s largely unproven. If Maye, Gonzalez, and their teammates work hard and live up to their potential, whether in practice or in games, their ranking might increase next year.
Similarly, the margin of error is relatively narrow. If there are substantial missed opportunities as indicated above, the Patriots may need to reset in a few years.
Still, as things stand now, youthful talent isn’t as much of an issue as it appears. Everything in the NFL revolves around development.
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