New England Patriots DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams was impressive during OTAs, according to Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub. "Williams made his presence felt during practice, and seemed especially involved running routes outside the numbers," Barth wrote. "His highlight play came on a deep out when he created significant separation and caught a pass from Maye." We can't put a whole lot of stock into just one offseason observation when there's still more than three months until the regular season, but the Patriots should feel optimistic nonetheless. They've been devoid of wide receiver talent for several years, and Williams could fill a major hole for the team (alongside fellow newcomer Stefon Diggs). New England selected Williams with the fifth pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, investing significant capital in a player they hope can become a starter during his rookie campaign.

The Athletic's Chad Graff writes that while there's still a long time before the Week 1 season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders in September, offensive lineman Cole Strange seems like the most likely to win the open competition for the starting left-guard job in training camp. Strange and Wes Schweitzer got the longest looks with the first-team offense during the first practice of organized team activities on Tuesday. Strange has dealt with plenty of injuries, but if he stays healthy, he should be in the driver's seat to start next to rookie first-rounder Will Campbell in 2025. The 26-year-old didn't have his fifth-year option exercised, either, so Strange has added motivation for a strong season now that he's scheduled to become a free agent after the 2025 season. The former first-rounder from Chattanooga has played in just 13 games the last two years due to injuries.

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (concussion) took part in the first practice of organized team activities on Tuesday and looked excellent after suffering a head injury in the Week 18 regular-season finale last year. Gonzalez is already looking like the shutdown corner he was in 2024, according to The Athletic's Chad Graff, intercepting quarterback Drake Maye twice on Tuesday. The former first-round selection (17th overall) in 2023 out of Oregon is a player that New England plans to build around on the defensive side of the ball, and he's expected to take on a bigger leadership role in his third year in the league. The 22-year-old finished last year with 59 tackles (50 solo), 11 pass breakups, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in 16 games played.