The New England Patriots went all in on Stefon Diggs this offseason to get Drake Maye some help in the receiver room. It turns out, the guy they can rely on was in-house all along. DeMario Douglas has reportedly been the Patriots’ best pass catcher. That’s a great sign for the Patriots who not only need a long term No. 1 option, but a No. 2 to Diggs.
Douglas has been one of the few receivers to actually impact this offense since he was drafted in 2023. Though he hasn’t had a season with more than 700 receiving yards yet, this year is destined to be a breakout year for him. He also got his first career touchdown reception this year and finished with three total touchdowns in 2024.
With Douglas now taking on more of a role, it can give Patriots fans a bit of relief. Diggs seems to follow the drama, so if he gets involved in anything else this season, at least New England knows they can trust Douglas to impact this offense if Diggs can’t.
Drake Maye possibly getting another weapon on offense will on help him and the Patriots resurgence
Maye couldn’t ask for a better situation to play out. If Douglas does end up becoming a key player in this offense, that's the best case scenario. New England has been starving for a receiver to step up and they drafted a plethora of them just for them to not pan out. If Douglas is the one to separate himself, that will only help Maye.
It wasn’t an ideal rookie season for Maye, but the Patriots still see a lot of upside in him. They wanted to make sure this season, there were no excuses about his play. He doesn’t have the best set up in the NFL or even the AFC East by any means, but it’s light years better than it was a year ago.
Douglas rising as another target for Maye could also provide some competition in the receiver room too. I’m sure Diggs came in thinking he would be getting most of the targets. If Maye starts to build some chemistry with Douglas, he could be the preferred option.
I’m not saying the Patriots don’t need Diggs because they brought him in for a reason. They need veteran leadership and a receiver that can help Maye get comfortable in the NFL. Diggs could end up helping Douglas become an important player in this offense as well.
The Patriots need as many weapons as possible in their receiver room and Douglas is trending to being just that. If he helps Maye and this offense thrive, it means Maye just might have a new favorite target.