Dont'a Hightower and Devin McCourty. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
In the beginning, there was light: Matt Light. And Damien Woody. And Richard Seymour. And Tom Brady. Two decades later, the Patriots are scrambling to find some semblance of identity in the post-Brady era.
Once perennial Super Bowl contenders, the Patriots are no longer guaranteed to win 11 or 12 games a season, and they’ve started to depend more on their rookies to step up.
Following the 2021 NFL Draft, top prospects like Mac Jones have colossal shoes to fill, and as with any draft pick, players have the potential for either an explosive rookie year or an utterly and catastrophically disappointing one.