The Patriots’ 2023 roster doesn’t look drastically completely different than what New England placed on the sphere final season, however even past promising offensive teaching adjustments, there’s purpose to imagine the crew may put out a greater product this 12 months.
One potential trigger for optimism is the anticipated progress of younger gamers on the roster.
Let’s dive into 5 potential breakout candidates on New England’s roster.
RB Pierre Strong
Strong, a 2022 fourth-round select of South Dakota State, barely touched the ball final season regardless of enjoying in 15 video games. He completed his rookie marketing campaign with 10 carries for a fair 100 yards with one dashing landing and 7 catches on seven targets for 42 yards.
Now, veteran working again Damien Harris is now not a part of the working again room after departing in free company for the Buffalo Bills, and his potential alternative, free-agent signee James Robinson, was minimize throughout spring practices.
The Patriots have been kicking the tires on working again depth, in response to a league supply, however Strong has an opportunity to take over that No. 2 working again function behind Stevenson. With a timed 4.37-second 40-yard sprint in the course of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, Strong is one in every of New England’s quickest gamers. He caught 62 passes throughout his faculty profession however must show himself to be dependable in blitz pickup to earn a constant function within the passing recreation.
WR Tyquan Thornton
Thornton is one other pace demon from the 2022 NFL Draft. The second-round choose ran a 4.28-second 40-yard sprint earlier than final 12 months’s draft and truly completed his rookie season enjoying 50.1 p.c of offensive snaps regardless of lacking 4 video games on injured reserve.
He caught simply 22 passes on 45 targets for 247 yards with two touchdowns, nevertheless. The Baylor product flashed in New England’s first organized crew actions observe open to the media however then missed the remainder of the open classes to harm.
Thornton, who’s slim at 6-foot-3, 182 kilos, should show he can keep wholesome. He has an opportunity to proceed to push gamers like DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne for snaps within the Patriots’ pass-catching rotation and supply a novel deep-speed aspect to New England’s offense.
DT Christian Barmore
The Alabama product confirmed a ton of promise as a rookie in 2021 however missed the center portion of his second season with a knee harm. He completed robust final season with 11 whole pressures over New England’s ultimate two video games as PFF’s highest-graded defensive sort out in Weeks 17 and 18 with a 91.5 mark.
Barmore ought to tackle a higher function this season if he can keep wholesome. He brings the very best upside as a pass-rusher out of any of New England’s inside defenders.
CB Marcus Jones
Perhaps essentially the most thrilling participant on the Patriots’ roster, the largest query surrounding the 2022 third-round choose is what roles he’ll play in 2023. Jones was a full-time return specialist, part-time defender and gadget offensive playmaker as a rookie. That’s seemingly one of the best ways to make the most of him shifting ahead, as nicely.
He was named a first-team All-Pro as a punt returner with 362 yards and a rating on 29 returns. He additionally contributed 27 kick returns for 645 yards, 4 catches for 78 yards and a landing and 39 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, seven move breakups, a fumble restoration and a landing on protection.
Jones’ defensive function might be depending on plenty of various factors — specifically, Jack Jones’ standing whereas dealing with felony expenses for allegedly making an attempt to convey two firearms onto a flight, how New England plans to exchange Devin McCourty at free security and if Jonathan Jones is concerned in that equation.
Jones primarily performed slot cornerback final summer time in coaching camp however was largely an out of doors cornerback in faculty and final common season regardless of his 5-foot-8, 175-pound body. If Jones ascends right into a beginning function on protection, he may see his offensive and return utilization lower. It could be finest for him to stay a part-time participant on protection to proceed his playmaking function on offense and particular groups.
S Jabrill Peppers
Peppers, 27, is coming into his seventh NFL season, so it’d look a bit bit unusual to seek out him on this record. That being stated, he performed final season whereas recovering from a torn ACL in 2022, and he even acknowledged that he’s heard “it’s a two- to three-year injury before you’re fully, fully healed” over the spring.
Head coach Bill Belichick raved about Peppers when requested if he’s seen explicit progress from the veteran security.
“Yeah. Oh my god, yeah,” Belichick stated. “He’s a a lot completely different participant now than he was final 12 months presently and even in coaching camp.
“A full year after the injury, a lot of confidence in the communication, the system, his assignments. He’s playing fast, aggressive, helping out his teammates. Last year he was trying to learn things, now he’s helping out his teammates, anticipating, making calls or adjustments that maybe help him or possibly help his teammate be in a better position to defend a certain play or type of play. Yeah, he’s been great. He’s way ahead of where he was last year.”
Peppers is within the combine to exchange McCourty in a possible security rotation.
Source: www.bostonherald.com