It took longer than expected, but the Patriots added much-needed wide receiver help when they signed Stefon Diggs this week.

Diggs, 31, is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in October, but he’ll immediately enter the Patriots’ wide receiver corps as their top pass-catching option.

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“Yeah, just trying to make sure we’re supporting Drake (Maye) and supporting the football team,” head coach Mike Vrabel said of signing Diggs on former Patriots defensive end Chris Long’s “Green Light” podcast. “And again, this is a highly competitive, confident receiver that’s produced throughout his career and multiple ways, play style, right? He’s got a play strength to him that you see that he can play physical, you know, route craft … good at the catch point, has been good in the red zone.

“There’s a play style to him that I’ve always appreciated, and that we want to continue to enhance and make sure that he’s doing things to help us. But it’s just his conversation, his demeanor, his attitude and his presence have been, you know, great through our conversations. And hopefully we can, you know, continue to add good players.”

Diggs caught 47 passes for 496 yards with three touchdowns in eight games last season before tearing his ACL. In 10 seasons, he has 857 catches for 10,491 yards with 30 touchdowns in stints with the Vikings, Bills and Texans.

He’ll join Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in the Patriots’ wide receiver corps. Vrabel is excited to work with Hollins, as well.

“I haven’t heard one person say anything negative, other than maybe wear some shoes once in a while,” Vrabel quipped about Hollins, who famously walks around barefoot. “But other than that, just his intelligence, right? It’s just, you’re talking to a very mature person. Like, I love the conversations that I have with him. And it’s like, successful family. His brothers are successful his family. And so we were excited to be able to add him. I’ve always looked at him from afar and said, ‘Man, this guy is somebody that could always play for us, and we weren’t able to add him, but he’s had success against us,’ and now we’re able to add him through this process.

The Patriots could still use help at wide receiver. They currently hold four selections in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Signing Diggs also doesn’t necessarily preclude them from trading for another veteran wide receiver.

Vrabel and the Patriots’ front office should be doing everything in their power to support Maye. Their biggest need after signing Diggs is at left tackle. They might need to spend the fourth overall pick on an offensive lineman to make sure Maye has enough time to get the ball to Diggs.