Where Patriots Land On ESPN’s NFL Preseason Power Ranking

As it stands, ESPN does not believe the Patriots rank within the top half of the NFL.

This probably is a fair opinion on New England, which finished 8-9 last season and did not qualify for the playoffs. The underwhelming campaign featured major regression from Mac Jones, who earned a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie in 2021 but struggled mightily in Matt Patricia's system.

The unknown surrounding Jones is a major reason why ESPN situated the Patriots 17th on its preseason NFL power ranking. Most recently, New England was 16th on the network's post-draft edition.

"Jones' production dipped in 2022 -- and he missed three games to injury -- after an impressive rookie season, and this is his year to prove the decline wasn't as much about him as the changes around him (e.g., Bill Belichick revamping the offense and assigning longtime defensive coach Matt Patricia to carry out his vision)," Mike Reiss wrote. "The Patriots have to decide in May whether they will pick up Jones' fifth-year option for 2025, which further contributes to this being a pivotal year for him."

Bouncing back and proving himself worthy of the option won't be an easy task for Jones. Although New England now has a proven offensive play-caller in place and new weapons for Jones, it also faces the toughest regular-season schedule in the league, per Pro Football Focus.