The New England Patriots have been one of the NFL’s best teams for the last decade-and-a-half, and ESPN’s panel of experts doesn’t envision that changing anytime soon.
The Patriots placed second in ESPN.com’s latest “Future Power Rankings,” which aim to project each team’s success over the next three seasons. The rankings, which were released Monday, utilized five criteria — roster, quarterback, draft, front office and coaching — with each counting for between 15 and 30 percent of a team’s total score.
New England earned outstanding marks in coaching (a superb 99.7 out of 100), front office (91.0) and quarterback play (89.7), and its overall roster garnered a solid 85.0. The Pats’ one problem area was their drafting, with the team scoring just a 75.0 in that category. ESPN’s Louis Riddick pointed to Dominique Easley and Ras-I Dowling as two examples of recent early-round busts.
That all resulted in a total score of 88.3, just two percentage points shy of the top-ranked Seattle Seahawks and miles ahead of New England’s closest divisional opponent, the New York Jets, who came in at No. 15 with a score of 68.3.
The Carolina Panthers (84.7), Pittsburgh Steelers (83.5) and Green Bay Packers (83.2) rounded out the top five overall.
The Patriots open the regular season Sept. 11 with a Sunday night matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
See the full ESPN.com Future Power Rankings >>
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
