The New England Patriots should view one intriguing player as a top priority this offseason.
Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots are looking to make a quick turnaround after a brutal 2024 season. While no one should expect them to be a Super Bowl contender next season, being a potential sleeper playoff contender could be an option.
Everything will depend on what the Patriots are able to get done throughout the NFL offseason.
Heading into the offseason, New England has lots of money to spend and some great draft picks to utilize. They could make trades, aggressive offers to free agents, and could take a leap forward from the 2025 NFL Draft alone.
That being said, which players should the Patriots target?
In free agency, there are a few needs that should be addressed. New England needs help at wide receiver, on the offensive line, and with their pass rush.
Throughout the course of the 2024 season, the Patriots struggled to get to the opposing quarterback. There is a quick fix that they could target this offseason.
Azeez Ojulari, a free agent pass rusher from the New York Giants, should be a top-notch priority for New England. He’s young and has elite potential for the future.
During the 2024 season with the Giants, Ojulari ended up playing in 11 games. He racked up 28 tackles, six sacks, and a fumble recovery. At 24 years old, he still has a lot of room to develop and improve.
On the outside looking in, those numbers don’t look amazing. However, the way that he put them up does.
Ojulari has excellent speed and athleticism off of the edge. Within Vrabel’s defense, he would be put in a situation to succeed. Parting ways and leaving New York could also give him a valuable fresh start.
Finding young edge rushers with elite potential is not something that is easy to do. Ojulari has already proven that he can be effective at the NFL level. He has work to do to become consistent, but the baseline is there for him to be a productive piece with huge upside.
If the Patriots are going to take a big jump from 2024 to 2025, they need to bring in a better pass rush. They should look no further than Ojulari to open up free agency.
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