ESPN’s NFL Top 100 Of 2023 List Presents Legitimate Concern For Patriots

The Patriots boast a roaster that doesn’t exactly inspire a ton of confidence in New England for the 2023 NFL season.

A recent player power ranking from ESPN illustrates as much.

The Worldwide Leader on Monday published a list predicting the top 100 players for the upcoming season. The Patriots are not well-represented on the ranking, as Matthew Judon is the lone New England selection. And the star pass-rusher barely cracked the list, checking in at No. 96.

To put all of this into perspective, the ranking is covered with players from the Patriots’ fiercest rivals. The New York Jets (four), Buffalo Bills (five) and the Miami Dolphins (seven) all have multiple representatives on the list.

In the past, a 53-man roster bereft of elite talent wasn’t a major concern for the Patriots. Elite quarterback play was a virtual guarantee in New England for two decades, and it allowed Bill Belichick and company to cut corners on certain parts of the depth chart. But Tom Brady is long gone, and top-level coaching might not be enough to make the Patriots a playoff team in 2023.

All of that said, ESPN’s ranking is a prediction and we won’t know what these Patriots can bring to the table until they start playing regular-season games. But until New England proves otherwise, expectations in Foxboro, Mass., probably should be tempered for the upcoming campaign.