Robert Kraft is optimistic about his team in 2023, but the 82-year-old Patriots owner is also mindful of how competitive the AFC East has grown, Chris Mason of Masslive reports.

Kraft spoke to reporters — including ESPN’s Mike Reiss — after the Myra Kraft Community MVP Awards luncheon at Gillette Stadium on Thursday afternoon and offered an early outlook on the season ahead.

“I liked our draft this year and I hope that translates on the field,” Kraft said. “I know the guys are working very hard. I think we have the most difficult division in the NFL, the best balance of teams — all the other three teams are good. So we’ll have our challenges. But I’m really hopeful about this team.”

The AFC East was competitive a season ago — the last-place Jets had seven wins — and should be even better in 2023. The Bills are still heavy favorites to win the division, but New York landed a massive quarterback upgrade in Aaron Rodgers, and the Dolphins added defensive guru Vic Fangio as well as All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Improvement abounds.

This is also the second time Kraft has offered a positive endorsement of New England’s 2023 NFL Draft class. On NFL Network last month, the owner said New England actually nabbed the top seven prospects on their draft board.

“I was thinking, draft day, at the end of draft day, my eldest son Jonathan and I were chatting and I said, ‘This was a great, great draft. I’m really optimistic about the team,’” Kraft said. “And he said, ‘Dad, you do that every year. You say that every year.’ But I really believe it. We were able to get the top seven picks that we had identified before the draft. I think it gives us a good balance of what our needs are. I think our free agent pickups, and getting (offensive coordinator) Bill O’Brien in, will make a big difference and I’m very hopeful for the team.”

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