The Patriots infused their roster with a lot wanted juice throughout the NFL Draft, including principally elite athletes with their 12 picks who as a rule addressed severe wants.
Come summer season, the place competitors in coaching camp ought to be the fiercest it’s been since 2019. Here’s how the Pats’ roster breaks down close to the tip of spring:
*projected starter
Quarterbacks
*Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Trace McSorley, Malik Cunningham
Until additional discover, Jones will begin and Zappe ought to be his main backup for a second straight season. McSorley presents a cellular possibility off the bench, and could possibly be a practice-squad candidate come the common season. Cunningham is reportedly open to a place change, and after operating a 4.5 on the NFL Combine — amongst different elite testing numbers — he could possibly be athletic sufficient to make the change.
Running backs
*Rhamondre Stevenson, James Robinson, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, J.J. Taylor
One of essentially the most easy positions on the roster. Stevenson and Robinson ought to kind a pleasant 1-2 punch, whereas all of the others sit squarely on the roster bubble. Montgomery is getting into a contract yr after a season-ending harm within the 2022 opener. Strong and Harris are intriguing candidates to make a Year 2 leap, particularly Strong given his 4.3 pace.
Wide receivers
*JuJu Smith-Schuster, *DeVante Parker, *Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Tre Nixon, Demario Douglas, Lynn Bowden Jr.
Smith-Schuster and Parker challenge to be the Patriots’ No. 1 and No. 2 receivers, respectively, getting into coaching camp. As for the remainder? Bourne is coming off his worst season as a veteran, Thornton underwhelmed as a rookie, Boutte comes with a historical past of spotty effort and Douglas clears 5-foot-9 on a superb day. However, the Patriots did improve their expertise right here over the offseason, particularly including explosive gamers who’re extra able to gaining yards after the catch.
Tight ends
*Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Matt Sokol, Scotty Washington, Johnny Lumpkin
Don’t be stunned to see the Patriots add to this group earlier than their first preseason recreation, with all 4 veterans getting into contract years. Henry is the clear-cut starter, whereas Gesicki ought to functionally function an enormous broad receiver and barely play in-line. Sokol is a sleeper candidate to make the ultimate 53, and the staff simply signed Lumpkin, an undrafted rookie.
Offensive tackles
*Trent Brown, *Riley Reiff, Calvin Anderson, Conor McDermott, Yodny Cajuste, Andrew Stueber
The solely certainty right here is Brown will begin at left or proper sort out. Aside from that, Reiff and Anderson obtained sufficient cash in free company to just about assure them roster spots. McDermott and Cajuste are preventing uphill battles for the swing sort out job, and Stueber is an unknown after spending most of final yr as a seventh-round rookie on the Non-Football Injury checklist.
Interior offensive line
*David Andrews, *Cole Strange, *Mike Onwenu, Jake Andrews, Sidy Sow, Atonio Mafi, James Ferentz, Chasen Hines, Kody Russey, Bill Murray
If there ever was such a factor, it’s a brand new period for backup inside O-linemen in New England. With Strange, David Andrews and Onwenu entrenched as starters, Jake Andrews and Sow ought to make the staff on draft standing alone. Mafi may beat out one or each of them as the first backup to each guard spots, a job Ferentz as soon as held however shouldn’t for much longer getting into his age-34 season. Ferentz figures to land on the chopping block, the place it’s seemingly he’ll have firm in Hines and Russey, 2022 rookies who mixed to play zero snaps final season.
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Defensive line
*Davon Godchaux, *Deatrich Wise, Christian Barmore, *Lawrence Guy, Carl Davis, Daniel Ekuale, Sam Roberts, Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
Godchaux, Wise and Barmore are locks, with Guy shut behind as a multi-year starter and chief on this protection. However, he averaged near as many snaps per recreation as Barmore did final season. If the 2021 second-rounder can proceed to develop as a run defender, Barmore may make Guy, 33, expendable as a shock minimize. That would seemingly require simultaneous robust camps from Davis, a veteran backup, and Roberts, a latest sixth-round choose, however the depth is right here to pressure exhausting selections.
Edge defenders
*Matt Judon, Josh Uche, Keion White, Anfernee Jennings, Ronnie Perkins, Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
Another straightforward projection, Judon, Uche, White and Jennings will make the staff barring harm or a shock commerce. White’s coaching camp ought to be some of the fascinating to comply with, contemplating his freak power and mature recreation. As a prospect, he was billed as a robust edge-setter, which may earn him rotational snaps on early downs, whereas Uche once more eats up reps in apparent pass-rushing conditions.
Inside linebackers
*Ja’Whaun Bentley, *Jahlani Tavai, Raekwon McMillan, Chris Board, Mack Wilson, Calvin Munson, Terez Hall, Olakunle Fatukasi
Bentley emerged as a reputable three-down participant final yr, and since then, the entrance workplace opted to run it again by re-signing McMillan and Wilson. The Pats additionally added Board, a former Detroit Lion whom Belichick referred to as pretty much as good as any particular staff participant he confronted final yr. His presence makes it tough to see any linebacker exterior the highest 4 making the staff, particularly contemplating how usually the Patriots play a field security answerable for overlaying operating backs and tight ends.
Cornerbacks
*Jonathan Jones, *Christian Gonzalez, *Jack Jones, Marcus Jones, Myles Bryant, Shaun Wade, Isaiah Bolden, Amer Speed, Quandre Mosely, Randle Rodney
Christian Gonzalez is the proper rookie to slip into this group, a 6-foot-2, 199-pounder who seems like and examined as if he was inbuilt a lab for cornerbacks. He may begin reverse Jonathan Jones or Jack Jones, one in all whom will occupy one beginning spot. Jonathan Jones may additionally transfer again to nickelback or slide in at security, as Jalen Mills reportedly has, although he would go away little perimeter nook depth behind. Marcus Jones may be the staff’s subsequent beginning nickelback, whereas rookies Bolden and Speed must carve out a task on particular groups.
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Safeties
*Kyle Dugger, *Adrian Phillips, Jabrill Peppers, Jalen Mills, Marte Mapu, Joshuah Bledsoe, Brad Hawkins
The Patriots will look to switch all the pieces Devin McCourty introduced because the glue of their secondary, quarterback of their protection and final line of protection by rotating gamers into his outdated free security place. Dugger could possibly be headed for a Pro Bowl marketing campaign in a contract yr, whereas Phillips stays as regular as ever and Peppers lastly started to harness his physicality and expertise a yr in the past as a field security. Mapu’s physique kind — 6-foot-3 and 221 kilos — for now makes him a field security in Belichick’s protection, nevertheless it’s potential the staff will strive him at linebacker outright. Mills may play a number of positions this yr, from exterior nook to nickelback to security.
Special groups
Ok Nick Folk, *Ok Chad Ryland, *P Bryce Baringer, P Corliss Waitman, *LS Joe Cardona, ST Matthew Slater, ST Brenden Schooler, ST Cody Davis, ST Raleigh Webb, ST Jourdan Heilig
If the Patriots do not area a top-10 particular groups unit, it is going to be a colossal failure. They prioritized impression special-teamers throughout free company (re-signing Slater and Davis and including Board) — and the draft with Ameer Speed and Isaiah Bolden. They’ve powered up their kicker and punter positions, including the 2 strongest legs within the draft with Ryland and Baringer. And between Bolden, Marcus Jones and sixth-round rookie receiver Demario Douglas, there are actually returners galore on this roster.
Source: www.bostonherald.com