We all know that In this day and age almost anything can be argued. But it certainly appears, at least on the proverbial paper that drives daily sports debate, that the Patriots are a better football team this game-less early May day than last we saw Bill Belichick’s collective troops concluding another playoff-free season in January.
Last weekend’s dozen draft picks brought varied talents across the roster, addressing numerous needs even if the approach didn’t necessarily marry up with what many fans and media were apparently looking for. First-round pick Christian Gonzalez leads a defense-heavy group of youngsters with speed, athleticism, versatility and in some case, obvious size and power.
That came on the heels of a free agency period in which wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki paced an approach that brought Mac Jones some complementary help on offense at the very least.
While there may still be opportunities to upgrade the roster via value signings or trades in the months leading up to the 2023 season, the bulk of the roster is probably in place. As such, this Cinco de Mayo is the perfect day to take a position-by-position look at the New England roster that will be the foundation for training camp competition leading to eventual game day successes and failures. What are the strengths of the team? Where do post-draft holes remain?
Here’s one man’s (speculative and meaningless!) May rankings of the Patriots position groups!
1 – Edge: Matthew Judon is an established force on the outside. Josh Uche broke out late last season with 11.5 sacks. Deatrich Wise is coming off his best NFL campaign and second-round pick Keion White could have an impact right out the gates on his professional career. This could be the strength of the defense and the team, and as good a group as Belichick has had to work with in a while.
2 -- Defensive Tackle: The middle of the front seven has the depth, experience and potential to be a beastly unit. Christian Barmore didn’t progress as many would have hoped in his second season, but still has massive upside. We all know Belichick loves Davon Godchaux more than he probably should. Lawrence Guy is not what he once was but can still contribute. Wise and White can bump inside. Even Daniel Ekuale and Carl Davis have their moments.
3 -- Running back: This may be a bit high for this group, but is based on Rhamondre Stevenson’s rising star power and upside potential in the depth options. Stevenson is a stud as a runner and in the passing game. James Robinson is a sneaky-good free agent signing who could help keep Stevenson from getting worn down. Sophomore options Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong have potential as a thunder and lightning duo. Even Ty Montgomery can’t be ruled out for a role based on his versatility.
4 – Safety: Yes it’s going to be hard to replace the 1,000-plus snaps lost with Devin McCourty’s retirement. And his leadership will simply not be replicated. But the strong safety spot is loaded with talent with Kyle Dugger coming into his own and veterans Adrian Phillips and Jabrill Peppers impacting the back end in their unique ways. It also appears that Jalen Mills will bump over from cornerback to the free safety spot he’s more suited for. Joshuah Bledsoe is still an intriguing talent, while Myles Bryant for all his warts has built up plenty of reps of experience in the back end the last two years.
5 -- Interior offensive line: Right guard Mike Onwenu is probably the Patriots’ best offensive lineman at this point. David Andrews remains the leader in the middle. And last year’s first-round pick, Cole Strange, will be expected to make significant strides in his second season at left guard. The draft class also brought a trio of big, powerful bodies with potential on the interior in Jake Andrews (4th), Sidy Sow (4th) and Antonio Mafi (5th). The arrival of former player and experienced coach Adrian Klemm can’t hurt either.
6 -- Wide receiver: No, there is no true No. 1 target here that will strike fear in a defense. But there are a handful of options to turn to with proven past success in the NFL. They will all benefit from Bill O’Brien’s arrival to run the offense and put the Matt Patricia “experiment” in the past.
Smith-Schuster has his chance to shine. DeVante Parker can still go after 50/50 balls. Kendrick Bourne may be the most likely candidate for a bounce back year. And second-round sophomore Tyquan Thornton deserves a chance to prove himself after joining a dysfunctional unit as a rookie. Heck, some are even putting some expectation on sixth-round “steal” Kayshon Boutte.
7 -- Tight end: Hunter Henry is reliable, solid and should return to his 2021 role as one of Mac Jones’ more trusted options. Mike Gesicki should be an upgrade over the production that Jonnu Smith never provided over the last couple seasons. There’s no real depth here, but the top two are professional veteran commodities at the very least.
8 – Cornerback: Jonathan Jones is the only really proven commodity here and could potentially benefit from bumping back to his preferred spot in the slot. Gonzalez has all the talent to be a No. 1 outside guy, maybe even from Day 1. That could allow Jack Jones to slot in the No. 2 spot after a competitive rookie season, if he can stay on track with his maturation. Marcus Jones could also contribute in the slot if he’s not pulled elsewhere with his special teams and offensive duties. There is still a lack of depth here and obviously the young guys have plenty to prove in order to turn potential into reliability.
9 -- Special teams: We know that Marcus Jones is an elite returner. We think the coverage units will be better with the addition of Chris Board to the group led by veteran Matthew Slater and Brandon Schooler. We really have no idea what the outcome will be in terms of camp battles for the kicking and punting jobs. Nick Folk started to look a little old late last year and as a fourth-round pick Chad Ryland will be gunning for his job. Sixth-round pick Bryce Baringer has a big leg and will get every chance to beat out newcomer Corliss Waitman. Still, there is lots of uncertainty in the kicking game, even if Joe Judge helps guide the group in a more productive direction.
10 – Quarterback: In case you hadn’t heard Mac Jones had a really good rookie season in which he went to the playoffs and the Pro Bowl.
He had a really bad second season in which he turned the ball over too often, missed too many throws and showed too much frustration in the face of unprecedented dysfunction around him. This is a make-or-break year for Jones. Even his supporters have to have some doubt as to what his NFL upside can be. Bailey Zappe is what he is.
11 – Tackle: This position went essentially unaddressed in the draft and received mediocre-at-best additions in free agency. Trent Brown looked disinterested at times a year ago and betting on him returning to his Pro Bowl days seems optimistic. Fading veteran Riley Reiff, developing former practice squader Calvin Anderson and returning late-season savior Conor McDermott could fight for the right tackle spot. This group is dubious at best, even if Klemm upgrades the coaching it will get.
12 – Linebacker: Ja’Whaun Bentley is a solid leader and can make the plays that he should. But he’s far from a game changer. The rest of the group is filled out by guys who probably aren’t on the field all that often for a team with better talent and depth at the second level. That’s why the bigger safeties are leaned on so much in the box. Maybe Marte Mapu (3rd) adds athleticism here. But much more than that is needed.