Week 1 of a new NFL season always brings a little bit of hope to every franchise.
But it's also important to be realistic.
So let's face it: The New England Patriots aren't going to be very good this season. This isn't breaking news, of course. Anyone who's followed this team and understands the roster knows it's probably going to be a tough year for the six-time Super Bowl champs.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
But that's not necessarily a bad thing for the Patriots. This roster is still devoid of elite talent, and finishing with another top-three draft pick would be a great way to add a franchise cornerstone left tackle or wide receiver to the mix, especially if Drake Maye looks like the real deal at quarterback.
There's always a chance that the Patriots surprise. The Houston Texans were expected to be awful last season, but rookie QB C.J. Stroud led them to a division title and a playoff win. New England is unlikely to pull off a similar feat, especially with a brutally tough schedule.
More Patriots coverage
The Athletic's Mike Sando recently polled five team executives to see how they thought the AFC standings will unfold in 2024. Four of the five picked the Patriots to finish last (16th) in the AFC, while the other predicted a 13th-place finish.
“I tried,” one voter told Sando. “There is not a lot to get fired up about. Ja’Lynn Polk is a very good rookie receiver, but I don’t see him having a Puka Nacua-type impact.”
So if the Patriots are one of the teams expected to compete for the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, who are the others?
Here's a list of teams Patriots fans might want to keep an eye on during the upcoming campaign.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers finished with the worst record last season at 2-15. Making matters worse for the Panthers was the fact they owed their 2024 first-round pick to the Chicago Bears as part of the Bryce Young trade a year earlier.
Young needs to take a huge leap in his development in Year 2 of Carolina will once again be near the bottom of the standings. The Panthers' roster might be the worst in the league, especially after trading star pass rusher Brian Burns in the offseason.
New York Giants
The Giants finished with the fifth-worst record (6-11) last season and lost star running back Saquon Barkley to free agency. Daniel Jones will start at quarterback again after tearing his ACL last season.
Jones has shown flashes of being a competent quarterback, but he's also played atrociously at times. If he's bad again, the Giants could finish last in the NFC East. The young secondary is a real concern, too.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings lost rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy to a torn meniscus last month, which has thrust backup Sam Darnold into the starting QB role. Darnold is a backup-caliber player, and with no reliable running game and a lackluster defense (especially in the secondary), it wouldn't be surprising to see Minnesota at the bottom of the NFC North.
The rest of the division -- Lions, Packers and Bears -- should be better. It also should be noted that the Vikings have the third-toughest schedule in the league, based on their opponents' 2023 win percentage.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have a good offense with Kyler Murray fully healthy at quarterback, James Conner returning at running back, and the addition of rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. (No. 4 overall pick) at wide receiver. Trey McBride is a rising star at tight end, too.
The defense, however, still has lots of concerns. The Cardinals also play in a tough division. Arizona should show meaningful improvement in 2024, but that might not translate to many more wins.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders were much better after Antonio Pierce took over for Josh McDaniels as the head coach in the middle of last season. However, they play in a tough AFC West and are entrusting their offense to journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew (15-22 career record as a starter). Las Vegas also lost star running back Josh Jacobs in the offseason.
The Raiders have a decent foundation, especially at the skill positions on offense, but the lack of a top-15 quarterback is an issue.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers lost a lot of offensive firepower in the offseason with the departures of starting running back Austin Ekeler and veteran wideouts Mike Williams and Keenan Allen. These players were not adequately replaced, leaving franchise quarterback Justin Herbert without a ton of talent at the skill positions. Gus Edwards and J.D. Dobbins were brought in at running back, but both players have durability concerns.
The arrival of new head coach Jim Harbaugh from the University of Michigan is exciting for the Chargers and also an upgrade, but he has a ton of work to do to get this team back in the playoffs.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders finished 4-13 last season and had an absolutely horrendous defense, ranking dead last in both points and yards allowed per game. This unit did not receive any major upgrades over the offseason.
The one positive for the franchise is rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was selected with the No. 2 overall pick and will start Week 1. If he's good, the Commanders could potentially be in the mix for a wild card playoff spot. If he struggles, Washington likely will end up with another top 10 pick.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans were busy in the offseason. They signed running back Tony Pollard, wide receiver Calvin Ridley, and center Lloyd Cushenberry III in free agency. They also traded for star cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.
So why are they on this list? Will Levis.
He started at quarterback in the second half of last season and played fairly well as a rookie, but he's still very much an unknown. Levis has loads of talent around him on offense, but can he make winning plays late in games? We'll find out soon.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos are starting rookie quarterback Bo Nix in Week 1. It's the right decision because he's better than Jarrett Stidham, but there will be growing pains with a rookie under center. Denver gave up the sixth-most points and fourth-most yards per game last season, but no major upgrades were made to the defense during the offseason.
Denver hasn't made the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 in Peyton Manning's final season (2015). It's unlikely that drought will end in 2024.