The New England Patriots are in an interesting place this offseason. Despite finishing as the Super Bowl runner-up last season, there are questions about whether they’re a legitimate contender entering 2026 or if they overachieved last year.
The organization will try its best to build on its AFC Championship. As a result, one analyst believes the best path towards that pursuit would be to bring in a superstar wide receiver to complement Drake Maye, and it isn’t A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles.
New England Patriots Need a Plan for Drake Maye
In his sophomore season, Maye finished as the NFL MVP runner-up behind Matthew Stafford and second in PFSN’s QB Impact score with a 91.1 grade. However, his performance in the postseason had a few hiccups, as he went through a defensive gauntlet.
The offseason, too, has been a mixed bag for the offense as a whole. Their most consistent wide receiver, Stefon Diggs, was released early in the summer, before they brought in Romeo Doubs to bolster the wide receiver corps.
While they have been linked to Brown all offseason, a trade hasn’t materialized yet and rumors seem to have fizzled out. While the Patriots haven’t shied away from expressing interest, his future with the Philadelphia Eagles still remains a mystery.
As a result, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes New England needs to seek other avenues for a top-flight wide receiver. The name he has in mind, though, comes from within the conference, as he pegs the Patriots as a potential landing spot for Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.
“Adding Thomas to the mix would give the Pats a potential No.1 wide receiver, at a deep discount in terms of salary,” Davenport argued. “There’s a window open for the Patriots now with quarterback Drake Maye on his rookie deal, but that window isn’t going to stay open forever.”
After a spectacular rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Thomas’ numbers took a noticeable dip during his sophomore year, as he finished at No. 71 on PFSN’s WR Impact. He racked up 1,282 yards and 10 TDs as a rookie, but then he underwhelmed with 707 yards and 3 total TDs in 2025. But his downfall may have been the result of a new offense under head coach Liam Coen and a multitude of other mouths to feed.
In New England, he wouldn’t face that problem and could return to the player who dominated secondaries as a rookie. With two years remaining on his rookie deal and a cap hit of just $3,998,176 this season, he could be the ideal piece for New England.
It remains to be seen if the Jaguars will be willing to move Thomas, as there have been mixed reports about his availability.
All eyes are on the Patriots to see if they’ll make a major move around the NFL Draft, but the potential for an offense led by Maye and the LSU reunion of Thomas and Kayshon Boutte is certainly intruiging.
