The New England Patriots have to surround Drake Maye with as much talent as possible on the offensive line and skill positions. It’s obvious that, after an impressive rookie season in 2024, Maye has the potential to be a true franchise quarterback for a long time.

But he won’t realize that potential without significant improvements to the roster.

This process is already underway, with the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis kicking off this week. The Patriots own the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and they have four selections in the top 80.

Free agency begins in just a few weeks, and the Patriots have almost $130 million in salary cap space — by far the most of any team. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Tuesday at the Scouting Combine that the team plans to be “aggressive” in free agency.

How does that factor into how the Patriots need to support Maye?

“You have to be able to protect him,” Vrabel said. “You have to have some guys who can help him on the edges and be able to make contested catches so you don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to have perfect ball placement.

“Those are all things we talk about in trying to support Drake, believing that he is the future of our franchise at quarterback. I’ve been able to meet with him and talk with him and just get to know him as a person. You have to look at the lines of scrimmage, and look no further than the Super Bowl where that game was clearly won at the line of scrimmage.”

It’s been a while since the Patriots had a wide receiver capable of making contested catches on the outside. Unfortunately for the Patriots, the 2025 draft class isn’t very strong at the wide receiver position. The free agent class, outside of Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins, isn’t stellar, either. Therefore, the trade market might be the best way for the Patriots to acquire an impact wideout.

The offensive line, and specifically left tackle, is arguably the position most in need of an upgrade on New England’s roster. There’s no better way to make your quarterback’s life easier than putting a great offensive line in front of him.

Whether it’s drafting someone like LSU’s Will Campbell or signing free agent veteran Ronnie Stanley, Maye needs a trusted tackle to protect his blindside.

The Patriots have the resources, both in terms of cap space and draft picks, to make significant enhancements to their roster in the offseason. Doing so is the only way to set up Maye for success.