Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs should both have chips on their shoulders this season. The Patriots’ second-year quarterback may see a slight extension of his rookie year, given New England essentially cleaned house on offense and in the coaching staff while Diggs is a 31-year-old receiver coming off a torn ACL.

If both of those guys are at the top of their games in 2025 and if they grasp Josh McDaniels’ offense, expect Maye and Diggs to emerge as an underrated quarterback-wide receiver duo this season. But the combination of Maye’s youth and Diggs’ health has them generating a little bit of disrespect among new quarterback-wide receiver duos throughout the league.

Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports ranked Maye and Diggs 12th among 15 new QB-WR duos in the league, putting the likes of J.J. McCarthy, who hasn’t played an NFL snap, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Trevor Lawrence ahead of Maye. While it’s true that games aren’t won and lost due to media rankings, should there be some sort of motivation there for Maye and Diggs?

Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs will prove the doubters wrong

McDaniels indeed has a somewhat challenging offense to learn, and Maye is still a young quarterback; however, it’s also true that he possesses the combination of talent and intelligence to grasp it firmly before the regular season begins.

Diggs, meanwhile, is coming off a serious injury, and it remains possible that he could start the season on the physically unable to perform list. However, he has looked sharp on the days he has shown up in Foxborough for OTAs, and Diggs’ veteran presence will be an essential factor for the younger receivers.

Maye was strong as a rookie but was piloting an offense that was stalling more than humming, and almost none of that was the quarterback’s fault. He needed a top-flight wide receiver like Diggs, and the two can surely bring out the best in each other.

Yes, there may be some growing pains as both guys steadily grasp McDaniels’ offense and Mike Vrabel continues to mold the Patriots into the team he wants them to be. New England isn’t a team expected to fall short of expectations this year, and if Maye and Diggs can exceed these rankings, then watch out.

Perhaps these rankings aren’t a bad thing for Maye and Diggs, as both players and the Patriots have nowhere to go but up this season. However, they should also give both players a bit of a chip on their shoulder as they grow into a forceful QB-WR duo.