After months and months of anticipation and what-ifs, wide receiver A.J. Brown is officially a New England Patriot. The former Eagle has been pushing a trade to the reigning AFC champions for months, and now, post-June 1, he finally gets his wish. This is the first time in nearly two decades that the Patriots have a bona fide number one receiver on the roster, with Randy Moss being the last in 2010.
While New England does roster some underrated receivers, their run to the Super Bowl last season could have resulted in a victory if they had a true threat for Drake Maye. Identifying that part of the roster as a weakness, however, has led the Patriots to have a much stronger receiver corps heading into 2026.
Just how strong are New England’s receivers compared to the rest of the NFL, though? Let’s take a look at how their receiving corps stacks up to some other units in the league that are going to be featured in Madden 27.
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What Does The Patriots Receiving Corps Look Like In Madden 27?
Before we can compare the Patriots receivers to the other units in the NFL, we need to figure out just who will be on the roster come the opening day of the 2026 season when they play Seattle in a Super Bowl rematch.
Obviously, there’s A.J. Brown at the top of the depth chart, as he’s arguably still a top-10 wide receiver in the league and could see a career year playing with quarterback Drake Maye in Josh McDaniels’ offense. Then, there’s Romeo Doubs, the free agent signing from Green Bay, who was atop the depth chart before the arrival of Brown.
As for the rest of the unit, we know Kyle Williams will be on the roster. The second-year player showed true deep-ball prowess in his rookie campaign. After Williams, Mack Hollins should also be a lock for a roster spot, with his leadership and dependability becoming huge factors down the line for New England.
After those four, the Patriots likely have two more receiver spots to fill between Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Efton Chism III. Chism seems like the obvious cut candidate, but rumors have been circulating about a potential Boutte trade, as his skill set matches closely with A.J. Brown’s.
For the purpose of this article, we’re going to assume Boutte is traded, Douglas is the fifth receiver, and Chism III earns a roster spot but lands on the inactive list on game days. So, here’s the corps we’re working with:
- A.J. Brown
- Romeo Doubs
- Kyle Williams
- Mack Hollins
- Demario Douglas
- Efton Chism III
How Do The Patriots Stack Up Against Other Receiving Corps?
If this is the receiving corps for the Patriots in Madden 27, where does it rank against some other top units in the NFL?
First, let’s identify the wide receiver units 100% better than New England’s:
- Los Angeles Rams
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- Detroit Lions
- Minnesota Vikings
Those six teams either feature a wide receiver better than A.J. Brown or have a lethal receiver duo, like the Rams with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. However, as with the rest of the NFL, an argument can be made that the Patriots have a receiving corps that falls just outside the top six we have listed above.
Teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Houston Texans all have solid number one options, but none are better than A.J. Brown. Then, there are teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, and Philadelphia Eagles, where they arguably have a receiver better than A.J. Brown, but the rest of the corps isn’t head and shoulders above the other Patriots receivers.
If we had to give New England a rating based on the current rosters in Madden 27, we would say they comfortably have a top 10 receiving corps. The Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks all likely enter that top 10 with the Patriots, and if we add the top six teams from the list above, that should be your 10 best wide receiver units in Madden 27.
Published: Jun 2, 2026 11:30 am