Drake Maye has a new No. 1 wide receiver.

The New England Patriots reportedly agreed to terms with Stefon Diggs on a three-year deal on Tuesday. Diggs’ contract is worth up to $69 million with $26 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.

Diggs instantly becomes the Patriots’ most notable and highest-paid wide receiver with the contract, joining a room that is mostly young and underperformed in 2024. Of course, he’s also got some questions surrounding him, too. Diggs’ lone season with the Houston Texans ended prematurely, tearing his ACL in their eighth game of the year.

So, signing Diggs might not be considered as much of a home run now as it would’ve been a couple of years ago – but maybe it should be.

Grading the Patriots’ signing of Stefon Diggs

Finally, the Patriots have a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver.

Diggs has undoubtedly been one of the NFL’s best wide receivers since the turn of the decade. He carried a six-year streak of 1,000-plus receiving yards before tearing his ACL in 2024, snapping one of the more impressive runs a wide receiver has had in recent memory.

Even though Diggs didn’t finish out the 2024 season, he was still highly productive in the short time he was on the field. He recorded 47 receptions for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games, putting him on pace for roughly 99 receptions, 1,054 yards and six touchdowns over the course of a 17-game season.

Obviously, if Diggs had remained healthy, there’s no guarantee that he would’ve continued to produce at a near-100-reception pace. Some of his stats came during Nico Collins’ absence in the middle of the season and in his final year with the Buffalo Bills, Diggs’ numbers tailed off toward the end of the year. He only had one receiving touchdown in the final 10 games of the 2023 season (playoff games included), recording just two games with more than 60 receiving yards during that stretch.

Stefon Diggs is an immediate upgrade for any team's WR group. pic.twitter.com/eFiZNqLKRU

— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) March 20, 2025

However, some underlying metrics graded out Diggs as one of the best wide receivers last season. In terms of producing on a route-by-route basis, Diggs ranked third in ESPN’s overall wide receiver score. His catch rating was also tied for the fifth-best rating among all wide receivers and tight ends in 2024, recording just two drops.

The strong underlying metrics for Diggs’ performance in 2024 don’t stop there. C.J. Stroud had a 108 passer rating when targeting Diggs, proving to be a dependable receiver for the second-year quarterback, per Pro Football Focus. While his average depth of target (ADOT) wasn’t deep down the field at 8.3, his 4.1 drop percentage was the 15th-best mark among receivers with at least 60 targets last season, according to PFF.

That’s the kind of surefire wide receiver Drake Maye needs entering his second season with the Patriots. DeMario Douglas had dependable hands (1.5 percent), but no one else on the Patriots’ roster offers the reliability that Diggs does.

There’s obviously the concern that Diggs is coming back from an ACL tear. As he turns 32 in November, it’s reasonable to be a bit worried that he might not be able to bring much of a spark to the Patriots’ passing game. But he should be on the field, though. Diggs is on track to be back on the field by Week 1, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

Stefon Diggs up against Christian Gonzalez in practice 👀

Iron Sharpens Iron 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UOCzsV61xC

— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) March 26, 2025

That allows the Patriots to enter the NFL Draft in April to be a bit more free with how they want to make their picks. Before, the consensus opinion was that New England had to draft Travis Hunter at No. 4 if he was there (the Patriots should still do that as he’d be a strong fit with Diggs). Now, they can at least think about trading the pick if they get a great offer or potentially draft someone else if Hunter and Abdul Carter aren’t on the board.

The guaranteed money also makes this deal incredibly tenable. At $26 million guaranteed, it’s unlikely that Diggs will carry much of a dead cap number beyond this season. So, this shouldn’t hamstring the Patriots beyond 2025 if Diggs doesn’t produce.

Still, there should be an expectation that Diggs can produce at a strong level in 2025, and that alone makes this signing a win for the Patriots.

Grade: A-