The New England Patriots’ search for a true No. 1 wide receiver has not produced good results over the last five or six seasons.
The last Patriots wideout to tally 1,000-plus receiving yards in a season was Julian Edelman in 2019.
Since then, they have drafted N’Keal Harry (Round 1, 2019), Tre Nixon (Round 7, 2021), Tyquan Thornton (Round 2, 2022), Kayshon Boutte (Round 6, 2023), DeMario Douglas (Round 6, 2023), Ja’Lynn Polk (Round 2, 2024), Javon Baker (Round 4, 2024) and Kyle Williams (Round 3, 2025). Harry, Nixon and Thornton are no longer on the team.
They’ve also signed or traded for Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn, DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Reagor, Nelson Agholor, Donte Moncrief, and others. From this group, only Bourne remains on the current roster.
Bourne (2021) and Meyers (2021 and 2022) had productive seasons in New England, but none of these players have played at the level of a No. 1 wideout.
Will Stefon Diggs be different?
The Patriots signed the 31-year-old wide receiver to a three-year, $63.5 million contract as a free agent back in March. Diggs has been one of the most productive wideouts in the league since he was drafted in 2015. From 2018 through 2023, he averaged 101 receptions, 1,253 yards and almost nine touchdowns per season. He was voted to the Pro Bowl four times and selected to two All-Pro teams during that span.
But Diggs is coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 8 last season while playing for the Houston Texans.
Thanks to advancements in medicine over the last several decades, it’s easier for players to rehab from an ACL tear, return to the field and play at a high level. But that doesn’t guarantee Diggs will go back to being an elite wide receiver this season.
In fact, wideouts who have recently torn an ACL have found it difficult to crack the 1,000-yard mark in their first full campaign back on the field. Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Chris Godwin is the only wideout since 2021 who tore his ACL and then hit the 1,000-yard mark in his next full season.
Players report to training camp starting Tuesday, and Diggs is not listed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
That’s an encouraging development for the Patriots and an indication his rehab is going well.
Opinion/analysis: Not seeing WR Stefon Diggs as part of the PUP/NFI lists suggests his recovery from a torn ACL is progressing … as he appears to be on track to be on the field for Day 1 of training camp. https://t.co/nUaxX0LRq2
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 19, 2025
And it’s not super surprising, either. Diggs’ movement at mandatory minicamp was impressive. His route running, agility and quickness all looked pretty good, especially for someone who is rehabbing from knee surgery.
If Diggs is healthy enough to play Week 1, and assuming he plays close to a full season, he could put up strong numbers.
Diggs should get a ton of targets from quarterback Drake Maye in this offense. He is easily the best wide receiver on the depth chart, and his previous production and wealth of experience should help him quickly earn the trust of Maye. A heavy workload would be nothing new for Diggs. He was targeted 150-plus times each season from 2020 through 2023. He was on pace for around 130 targets in 2024 before the ACL injury. He has shown an impressive ability to get open throughout his career.
Diggs also has been very durable. Last season was the first time he missed more than two games in a single campaign since 2017. He missed only two games from 2020 through 2023. He’s never had to recover from an ACL before, but he’s always done a good job keeping his body in strong enough shape to play nearly every week.
So, what are realistic expectations for Diggs in 2025?
Fantasy Pros projects Diggs to tally 74 receptions for 805 yards and four or five touchdowns. ESPN’s fantasy football projection for Diggs is 73 receptions for 810 yards and four touchdowns. CBS Sports projects Diggs to record 75 receptions for 749 yards and five touchdowns.
Anywhere between 65-80 catches, 700-950 yards and four to seven touchdowns is a reasonable expectation for Diggs in Year 1 with the Patriots. If there are no issues with his knee, a 1,000-yard season would not be out of the question.
Diggs will be 32 years old in November, but he should still have a few good seasons left in him. His top-tier production with several different quarterbacks on three different teams (Vikings, Bills, Texans) in different conferences also speaks well to his ability to adapt, quickly learn an offense and develop chemistry with whoever is throwing him the football.
If healthy, Diggs should be very beneficial for Maye’s development.