What Patriots can learn about rebuilding in draft from Bengals, Lions

It feels like the New England Patriots are an ocean-sized distance away from being a real contender again, and in several ways, that's definitely true.

You could make a strong case that the Patriots had the worst roster in the NFL during the 2024 season, or at least the one with the least high-end talent.

The Patriots should have around $130 million in salary cap space this offseason, giving them enormous financial flexibility to make moves in the trade and free agent markets. But most contending teams build through the draft. That's where teams acquire young, talented players on salary cap-friendly contracts.

Two teams that recently vaulted from perennial losers to playoff-caliber through the draft are the Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions.

The Lions are the Super Bowl favorite entering the playoffs thanks to a roster that has been built through shrewd draft picks. Detroit's best running back, wide receiver, offensive lineman, defensive lineman and defensive back were all drafted over the last four years. The Bengals got their franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow, as well as his top running back and top two wide receivers, through the draft.

The Patriots have been one of the league's worst drafting teams for several years. They know improvement in this area is badly needed.

"We changed our grading system this year and have done things -- our drafts have not been good for a while, and if you want to compete long term and be good in this league, you've got to have good drafts because those rookie contracts allow you to go out and get the people you need to surround people for," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said at a press conference Monday. "Looks like we lucked out. We maybe have two quarterbacks, but I think we'll hopefully see a big improvement this year."

Let's dive into how the Bengals and Lions built through the draft and what the Patriots can learn from those paths.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have arguably the most explosive offense in football, and it was crafted in the draft. Taking Burrow at No. 1 overall in 2020 was one of the easiest picks of all time. Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and national title at LSU after producing one of the best college seasons ever.

The Bengals wasted no time getting him playmakers at wide receiver. They took Clemson star Tee Higgins in the second round of Burrow's draft, and a year later they drafted his LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase at No. 5 in the first round. Chase and Higgins represent the best WR duo in football. Chase just completed the wide receiver triple crown after leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Building a great offense isn't just about making the most of early-round picks. Teams have to hit on guys taken later in the draft, too. Chase Brown was a top-15/top-20 running back this season. Cincinnati selected him in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. Andre Iosivas was a solid No. 3 wideout in his second season with the Bengals after being a 2023 sixth-round pick.

The Bengals have drafted skill position players and used free agency to build a decent portion of their offensive line. Cincinnati has drafted five wide receivers since taking Burrow at No. 1 in 2020.

The Patriots could take a similar approach over the next few years. The Patriots have their quarterback in Drake Maye, so it makes sense to consider Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 4 pick. McMillan has elite talent and size. And if someone like Ohio State wideout Emeka Egbuka or Missouri wideout Luther Burden III starts to fall in the first round, trading up to get them would be a gamble worth taking.

Recent history suggests that first-round wideouts are typically pretty productive. Just look at this season when there were 24 1,000-yard receivers -- including Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers -- and 12 of them were first-round picks from the last four drafts. Eight of the top 10 players in receiving yards this season were first-round picks.

When you have a quarterback with elite potential, you must do everything possible to surround him with the most talent possible. The Bengals have done this -- potentially at the expense of their defense -- and it led to one Super Bowl appearance and another AFC Championship Game appearance... so far.

Detroit Lions

The Lions have done a masterful job trading up and down the draft order to maximize the value of their picks. They've been aggressive, and it's worked wonders.

The Patriots have the No. 4 pick in 2025. Could they trade down in the first round and pick up a few extra picks like the Lions did in 2023? It's a strategy worth exploring, especially when you consider the abundance of roster weaknesses New England has to address.

Sometimes it takes one great draft to turn around a franchise. The Patriots know that well. They took Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 draft. They selected Devin McCourty and Rob Gronkowski in the first two rounds of the 2010 draft.

The Lions don't have a class like that yet, but the 2023 group is looking amazing so far. Detroit went into that draft with the No. 6 pick in the first round. The Lions traded that pick, along with No. 81 overall in the third round, to the Cardinals for No. 12 (first round), No. 34 (second round) and No. 168 (fifth round).

Detroit used the No. 12 pick to take Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, which was considered both a reach and a redundant pick since they already had two very capable runing backs in D'Andre Swift and David Montgomery. The Gibbs pick was heavily criticized, but the Lions loved his talent and knew he'd likely be available at No. 12.

"They're all football players. If they can help you, they can help you. There's some positions you've gotta have speed and explosiveness. That's not overlooked," Lions GM Brad Holmes said before the draft. "If you think a player is that good, and he's out there producing for you, then I don't think anyone is gonna bat an eye about it."

Gibbs ranked fifth in rushing yards (1,412) and tied for first in rushing touchdowns (16) this past season. He tallied four touchdowns in the Lions' Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings that clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs for Detroit. He's an elite playmaker. Nobody is laughing at Holmes anymore.

The value of running backs isn't what it once was. Very few of them are taken in the first round these days. But the Lions identified a player who could make an immediate impact and weren't afraid to make the move.

The Lions used the No. 34 pick, also acquired in the trade with Arizona, to take Sam LaPorta, who has become one of the top 10 tight ends in the league. The Lions also got a starting linebacker in Jack Campbell in the first round with their own pick at No. 18. And when Alabama safety Brian Branch slid all the way to No. 45 in the second round, the Lions traded up from No. 48 to get him. Branch was the top-ranked safety in the 2023 class and a first-round talent.

The best pick the Lions have made in recent years, both from a value and production standpoint, is wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth round in 2021. Brown has transformed into a top 10 wideout. He has tallied 100-plus receptions and 1,000-plus yards in each of the last three seasons, with a total of 28 touchdowns during that span.

Another interesting fact about the Lions' drafting is that over the last five years they've selected 12 players from Big Ten schools and 10 from the SEC -- that's 58 percent of all picks in that span from the two-best conferences. It helps to take players from schools that face quality competition on a near-weekly basis.

Three lessons the Patriots can learn from the Lions in the draft include: be aggressive via trade, highlight speed/playmaking talent, and take players from elite-level college programs that have a proven track record of development and top-tier coaching.

It's easier said than done, but the Patriots aren't going to climb out of their rebuild anytime soon unless their drafts significantly improve.