Summer in the NFL is all about hope.
Teams and individual players alike believe this year is their year.
Professional football is indeed a world in which teams regularly go from worst to first, where even the Bengals can suddenly go to the Super Bowl.
Players can also transform from backups to breakout stars in the span of just a few months. Sometimes the jump is as much about opportunity as it is improvement. Or it could just be about growth and experience gained.
There’s plenty of reasons why a guy can take his game to the next level.
And there are certainly plenty of candidates on the Patriots 2022 training camp roster who might be in line for major jumps in production this coming fall. Staying healthy, maximizing opportunities and finding a fitting role within the scheme will all play a factor in whether summertime hope of a breakout year comes to fruition or fades into the reality of fall football action.
With the warm weather fueling the mid-July football optimism, here’s a look at five Patriots who might just be poised to put forth a bigtime breakout season in New England in 2022.
Kendrick Bourne – The veteran wide receiver had an impressive first year in Foxborough last fall with 55 catches for 800 yards (14.5 avg.) with five touchdowns. He put up those relatively impressive numbers despite being targeted just 70 times. Looking closer at his opportunities a year ago, Bourne was targeted four of fewer times in 12 of the 17 games he played in. Bourne seems to have a very good relationship with Mac Jones. He should be more comfortable in the offense. He certainly deserves more targets and touches this fall. He brings an unquestioned positive energy and attitude to his job. All of that could allow the former 49er to take his game to the next level and garner a lot more attention in 2022 for a Patriots offense that could use as many playmakers in the passing game as it can muster up.
Cole Strange – He’s just a rookie and just a guard, but the Patriots are certainly counting on their first-round pick to play a big role this season. The starting job at left guard will be his. He clearly has the athleticism to make the jump from FCS college competition to the NFL, and a pretty good feisty streak to go with it. There are a lot of reasons – talent meets opportunity – for Strange to hit the ground running on his NFL career. Will he be the next Logan Mankins as some are expecting? Maybe not. But he doesn’t have to be to make his mark up front.
Kyle Dugger – There are plenty of questions on the Patriots defense, but the third-year safety Dugger isn’t one of them. He faced plenty of questions as a second-round pick out of Lenoir-Rhyne, but has pretty much answered those over the last two seasons with his athleticism and versatility. Teammates and coaches alike rave about Dugger’s work. He’s had plenty of time to learn the tricks of the trade from Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips. The depth at the position should allow Dugger to be deployed where coaches think he’ll most succeed. Dugger is a guy who could have a trip to the Pro Bowl in his future and that future could be this season.
Rhamondre Stevenson – How impressive was the running back’s rookie season a year ago? Even Stevenson’s Oklahoma teammate Ronnie Perkins was surprised with what he saw from the big, speedy runner last fall. Shaking off an early fumble and pass protection issues, Stevenson ran the ball 133 times for 606 yards (4.6 avg.) with five touchdowns in 12 games played. He added 14 catches for 123 yards, showing soft hands and explosive potential in the passing game. Stevenson will still share the load with veteran Damien Harris, but he’s already shown lead-back potential and three-down ability that should lead to big things for he and the offense in the very near future.
Christian Barmore – Projected by many as a potential first-round pick to the Patriots a year ago, New England pulled off a steal landing Barmore in the second round. He had an impact rookie season in which he played in all 17 games, though he started just two while playing 55 percent of the defensive snaps. Barmore has the athletic versatility to be a significant impact player against both the run and the pass. He declared this spring that he wants to finish the quarterback more in his second season, something he’s certainly capable of. Given the many questions on the Patriots defense and the front seven in particular, Barmore will be leaned on heavily to make big developmental strides in his second season. There is no doubt he has Pro Bowl potential right now.
