Last year, the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick experienced their first losing season since 2000. The organization responded by shelling out several massive contracts in free agency. Despite the new additions, New England faces an uphill battle in the NFC East and might elect to draft for the future. Even after re-signing Cam Newton, the Patriots don’t have a long-term solution at quarterback. The team’s long-time leaders, like Julian Edelman and Devin McCourty, are entering the final seasons of their celebrated careers, while Stephon Gilmore and Dont’a Hightower hope for a few more peak years. This franchise needs a promising crop of new leaders.
Stanford
BYU
Northern Iowa
Virginia
Penn State
Florida State
Minnesota
Cincinnati
North Carolina