2. New England Patriots
Brandin Cooks may not have much left in his tank, but Drake Maye could be the quarterback to optimize the rest of his career. While Matthew Stafford is currently the MVP frontrunner, Maye has been the second-best quarterback in football and throws the prettiest deep ball in the game. Currently sitting atop the AFC with a 10-2 record, the Patriots have a legitimate chance to go on a deep playoff run for the first time since Tom Brady was under center.
Cooks isn’t the same deep threat he was when he helped Brady win MVP in 2017, but he can be a welcome veteran presence for this offense. New England has young, exciting players in Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas, along with tested veterans in Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, but they lack a pure speed threat. Cooks can’t beat defenses as consistently as he could back in the day, but he can be a solid situational player for this organization.
