The New England Patriots have already had a busy offseason, splashing some considerable cash to address needs on the defensive line (DT Milton Williams, EDGE Harold Landry) and cornerback (Carlton Davis III). But despite that flurry of activity, two glaring needs remained: left tackle and wide receiver, both of which were critical to building the right support system around franchise quarterback Drake Maye.
The team finally checked at least one of those boxes on Tuesday evening, reaching agreement with four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs on a three-year deal worth $69 million (albeit with only $26 million in guarantees).
ESPN Sources: Free-agent WR Stefon Diggs reached agreement on a three-year, $69 million deal including $26 million guaranteed with the New England Patriots. pic.twitter.com/jz9R3t4MQZ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 25, 2025
There are nits to pick here; Diggs is 31 and coming off an ACL tear, after all, and the team likely would've preferred to land one of the other wideouts who've changed teams so far this offseason. But beggars can't be choosers, and you can't blame the Pats for going after a known quantity rather than simply waiting until the NFL draft to get Maye a go-to target. Diggs has question marks, but he was on pace for another 1,000-yard season with the Houston Texans last season before getting hurt.
Now the question becomes: How does adding Diggs affect how the team approaches the remainder of the offseason, and particularly the draft? One receiver is hardly enough to flesh out a depth chart, after all, and plenty of other needs remain for Mike Vrabel and Co.
NFL mock draft: Patriots 3-round 2025 projection
Round 1: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
It's seeming increasingly likely that neither Abdul Carter nor Travis Hunter will fall to the Pats at No. 4, as the Cleveland Browns sour on Shedeur Sanders and the New York Giants stock their QB room with veterans rather than saving space for a rookie. So let's target left tackle early with Campbell, who may have short arms for the position but excelled against SEC competition before blowing up the NFL Combine.
New England could also opt for a more traditional tackle prospect like Missouri's Armand Membou here, but Membou's experience comes on the right side. Besides, even if Campbell can't stick on the blind side in the NFL, he'll at the very least be a high-end guard.
Round 2: EDGE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
The addition of Landry aside, New England desperately needs to add juice to its pass rush, so let's target edge rusher here. Tuimoloau feels like Vrabel's kind of player, and not just because he went to Ohio State: He's a tough, physical athlete, more than willing to hold up in the running game when he's not getting after the passer. This would give the Pats another three-down player to add to their defensive line, and New England needs as many of those as it can get right now.
Round 3: Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
You didn't think we'd be done here, did you? New England could target a tight end in the middle rounds, but none of them feel like clean fits here in the third round. Even with Diggs on board, this receiver room needs more size, without any big boundary options on the roster. So let's target one in Harris, who certainly looks the part at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds. He's a big play waiting to happen, and the perfect complement to Diggs running underneath and intermediate routes. Plus, Diggs' presence will command most of the targets, allowing Harris to feast as the Robin to his Batman and outmuscle defensive backs in single converage.