How the Patriots can replace Stefon Diggs after his release

Stefon Diggs’ time in New England is coming to an end. Despite coming off a productive season and still having two years remaining on his contract, the Patriots have informed the 32-year-old that he will be cut after the start of the new league year next week.

The move is a big one for the Patriots considering that Diggs was their leading pass catcher in 2025 as well as a leader in the locker room. Replacing what he brought to the table will not be easy, but the team is equipped with over $57 million in salary cap space now as well as three picks on the first two days of the NFL Draft.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how New England can use its available resources to help replace Diggs.

The internal option: Kyle Williams

Even though he was coming off a torn ACL suffered just 10 months before his Patriots debut, the team opted to use Diggs quite extensibly and flexibly. He aligned both inside and outside the formation, and was a factor regardless of down and distance: whether it was blocking from the slot on first down or aligning on the perimeter on third and long, he wore several hats during his lone season in New England.

The Patriots do not have a 1-for-1 replacement on their roster at the moment, but have the means to recreate him in the aggregate. DeMario Douglas can fill late-down slot duties, Mack Hollins can work as an X/Z hybrid, and Kayshon Boutte offers potential on crossing patterns.

The player currently best suited to replace Diggs, however, might be sophomore Kyle Williams. While he served primarily as a backup X-receiver during his 2025 rookie campaign, he has the dynamic skillset that should allow him to be used more diversely in his second season.

Williams offers enticing speed and acceleration in and out of his breaks, and has shown that he can pick up extra yards with the ball in his hands. Obviously, the sample size was limited and he needs to improve both his chemistry with Drake Maye and his overall play strength to become a Diggs-like part of the offense, but the talent certainly is there for him to do just that.

The free agency option: Alec Pierce

To make this very clear, Alec Pierce and Stefon Diggs are not the same type of player nor would their roles in the Patriots offense look the same. So, why are we listing the current Colts wideout set to enter free agency next week as a potential replacement? Because of what his presence would mean to the Patriots offense.

Pierce is an elite deep threat who led the league in yards per catch in each of the last two seasons and will therefore demand special attention from opposing defenses. That attention, previously, mostly went to Diggs and allowed teams to swarm the underneath parts of the field. Pierce, meanwhile, would have an opposite effect: teams need to respect his deep-field abilities, which by extension should open up space underneath for players like the aforementioned Kyle Williams.

If the Patriots were able to bring Pierce aboard and thus sign arguably the top wideout available in free agency this year, he would project as their top X-receiver, with Williams, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins all playing more hybrid roles. In the case of Williams and Boutte, such a usage might be better suited for their strengths than the X-heavy focus they had last year.

Obviously, cost would be a concern when it comes to Pierce; he very well could command $30 million a year on the open market. However, combining his skillset with Drake Maye’s arm talent is fun to think about.

The trade option: A.J. Brown

We have mentioned A.J. Brown multiple times before, and he has been linked to the Patriots effectively since Mike Vrabel arrived as head coach last January. And where there’s this much smoke…

However, there is a reason for that: not only is he likely to be available, he also would fit well with what the team needs and values from its wide receivers. With Diggs set to be released, that becomes even more important.

For starters, Brown is a slightly different player than both Diggs and the aforementioned Alec Pierce. He could become more of the inside/out weapon and volume target that the former was during his lone season in New England, but still threaten teams deep with speed and physicality at the catch point. Whether that is worth an apparently “unserious” asking price is up for debate, but there is no denying that the 28-year-old could have a Diggs-like impact on the Patriots and their quarterback, and then some.

Another selling point would be his leadership and experience both with Vrabel and in the league as a whole. Voted a captain each of his last three seasons with the Eagles, Brown has a lot of football under his belt and could take on the mentor role that Diggs used to hold in 2025.

The draft option: K.C. Conception

New England has invested some serious draft capital at wide receiver the last two years, and the success has been marginal so far. The Patriots got a combined production of 25 catches, 322 yards and five touchdowns out of second-rounders Ja’Lynn Polk (2024) and Kyle Williams (2025) as well as fourth-rounder Javon Baker (2024) over the last two seasons combined.

Could third year be the charm, though, and bring a high-impact youngster in particular now that Diggs is gone? Potentially. If so, one player stands out above the rest in our eyes: K.C. Conception out of Texas A&M, a player we actually gave to New England in our latest seven-round mock draft.

What makes Conception a good fit to replace Diggs in our eyes is his immense upside paired with his ability to line up all over the formation. If the Patriots decided to use him in a Diggs-like capacity in 2026, there is little doubt he could produce at a high level and at the very least offer some of what the former Pro Bowler brought to the equation.

Of course, the question is whether or not he will be in the Patriots’ range come draft day; there is a chance they would have to trade up to get him (something they probably would be willing to do under the right circumstances). Still, if that option does not materialize, other prospects like Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. or Alabama’s Germie Bernard are players to keep an eye on as well.