After a postseason run that culminated in a Super Bowl appearance, the New England Patriots begin their plans for next season. While the team lost to the Seattle Seahawks, it will attempt to strengthen its weaknesses.
Quarterback is a position that the franchise looks strong in with Drake Maye. Meanwhile, improving the offense could be at the top of the wish list. One analyst believes that Maye needs another weapon.
Patriots Projected to Select Washington WR Denzel Boston to Help Drake Maye
With a 14-3 record, an AFC championship, and a franchise quarterback, how will the Patriots improve? PFSN analyst Jacob Infante believes they will team with a wideout in the first round. With that in mind, Infante zeroed in on the Washington pass catcher.
“A big-bodied weapon at 6’4″ and 209 pounds, Denzel Boston is a sure-handed receiver with some of the best hands and physicality in the 2026 NFL Draft class,” he wrote.
Boston posted an 11-touchdown season as a Husky. Moreover, the angular receiver held down the No. 50 spot in the PFSN CFB WR Impact Rankings.
His season included touchdowns against Illinois, Oregon, and Boise State. While maintaining multiple advantages, Boston, according to Infante, possesses a very specific set of skills.
“He has impressive ball skills and coordination to high-point the ball and square up to it properly,” Infante added. “As a route runner, Boston uses his hands well through his stems and can attack leverage points by adjusting his footwork to exploit a cornerback’s blind spot.”
Boston excels in the jump ball, which will work in the red zone, as he can use his frame to shield the ball away from the defender. As a result, the Patriots need a bigger wideout to make tough catches in traffic.
Pairing him with Kayshon Boutte gives the Patriots a big-play duo that helps multiple facets of their offense. First, defenses cannot creep up and attempt to fill the box to stop the run.
The Patriots averaged 4.4 yards per rush, scoring 22 rushing touchdowns. Between running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, the Patriots embrace the ground game. Plus, games in cold-weather locales like Foxborough, Buffalo, and New York lend themselves to establishing the run game.
On top of that, the AFC boasts prolific offenses, so the run game, aided by a wide-open passing attack, could keep opposing offenses off the field and tax their defenses.
Boston’s potential arrival could come at a time when the Patriots need help.
“If they want to maintain that level of newfound success, at the top of their list should be finding a bonafide top wide receiver to replace Stefon Diggs,” Infante wrote.
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Diggs recorded his first 1,000-yard season since 2023. Not to mention, he caught 70% of his passes. However, he is facing felony assault charges.
Under those circumstances, going in another direction could turn out to be the smartest move. The Patriots held down the No. 2 spot in the PFSN NFL Offense Impact Rankings, and they could add another talent to make the offense play better.
