Before training camp started, I put together a quick projection of which position groups would be strongest (and weakest) for the Patriots in 2022.
It's only natural to re-evaluate where things stand with training camp now in the books and the 53-man roster has taken shape.
Though you may wonder to hear it, some positions actually improved their standing after some initial doubts. Others…well, not so much.
But the best group on the team hasn't changed, and the Patriots will likely be leaning on it VERY heavily this season.
Safeties
Bill Belichick probably hasn’t been as honest about anything as he has about how good he thinks his safeties are.
Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips, and Kyle Dugger have generally been as solid as advertised. Though Dugger still has work to do as a man-coverage defender, his destructive capabilities in the run game have been on display.
Peppers finally got on the field last Friday against the Raiders and flew around like the player the Patriots hoped he’d be: a solid depth piece and veteran contributor you can use against athletic offensive weapons.
The biggest surprise, though, was Bledsoe, who was a show-stealer from the moment training camp started and rarely seemed to make mistakes. He was too good to leave off the roster, and his presence makes the safety room the deepest and most versatile of any the team has. That could come in handy if they want to play as many three-safety nickel packages as it appears.
Specialists
Nick Folk, Jake Bailey, and Matthew Slater are exactly what you’d expect: professional, reliable, and almost unfailingly good at their jobs.
Former All-American Marcus Jones has some serious juice as a punt returner, and Myles Bryant proved a surprisingly capable option in that position. The Patriots put Pierre Strong Jr. back as the primary kick returner against Las Vegas in preseason, which is a very interesting wrinkle that adds tremendous speed to the return unit.
Then, there’s the emergence of undrafted rookies Brendan Schooler and DaMarcus Mitchell onto the special teams unit, unseating Justin Bethel to play alongside Cody Davis.
The specialists are still largely carried by their experience, but the young talent they’re developing is also encouraging.
Quarterbacks
In the end, Mac Jones will probably be fine. Still, watching some of his mechanics and pocket presence regress the way they have — even if they’re not permanent problems yet — is worrisome.
The Patriots have done more to make his second year less comfortable so far than they have to make it easier, but perhaps that will change as he gains experience in this new offense.
While you don’t necessarily want to see either one of them on the field, both Brian Hoyer and Bailey Zappe had strong camps. Zappe especially consistently got better as summer went on and should develop into a solid backup quarterback in time.
Either could potentially keep you afloat for a game or two if needed, and that’s all you can ask for from your backups.
Defensive Line
This unit still doesn’t have an elite talent on it yet, though Barmore can start getting into that realm by the end of the season.
But they‘re better than expected going into 2022, and Davon Godchaux’s emergence as a menace during camp was one of the big reasons the defense frequently held its own in joint practices even when other things weren’t well.
Also, Carl Davis Jr. made some very impressive plays during training camp and has really made a home for himself in New England as an interior space-eater. Knowing you can rotate him into the lineup and reasonably expect good things to happen when you do is a massive plus.
Defensive line is probably right behind safety in terms of having good starters and good depth. Other positions just have some better player overall at the top.
Tight Ends
Right now, the Henry-Smith duo remains more of an idea than a known commodity. But it’s a very talented idea.
The Patriots’ offense frequently looked better than average when the two were on the field together during training camp, and the new offense has used Smith in more creative ways so far than what we saw last year around this time. Getting him a small uptick in numbers would be extremely welcome for this offense.
Henry has been off the field some due to injury, but he’s as steady as ever when he’s out there. Expect him and Mac Jones to pick up right where they left off in 2021 when they connected for nine touchdowns.
Though Matt Sokol isn’t currently on the 53-man roster, it feels as if that’ll probably change once his practice squad elevations run out. Even something as small as that makes this unit better by allowing the Patriots to play more “12 personnel,” which they absolutely should.
Running Backs
The good news: Ty Montgomery looks like a steal for this team, providing quality play as a runner and pass-catcher during preseason action.
The bad news: he’s hurt, and there’s still no indication of whether he’ll be ready Week 1 against Miami.
That’s going to put more on Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson to fill in as pass-catchers, and both have improved in that regard from last year. Rookie Pierre Strong Jr. is the only backup there besides Montgomery, and he’s probably not ready to be a third-down back yet.
If Montgomery were to go on short-term IR, perhaps newly acquired Lynn Bowden Jr. gets a practice squad elevation just to put another (relatively) more experienced body in the room to serve as a buffer for Strong. Or, maybe as with Stevenson last year, Strong will just have to get it together quickly and learn as he goes.
Assuming Montgomery is able to play for them sooner rather than later, this unit will be among the Patriots’ better ones.
Wide Receivers
Believe it or not, rookie Tyquan Thornton’s injury really hurts this room. He was honestly so good in camp that he would’ve forced the Patriots to put him on the field Week 1 in some capacity, and his speed clearly affected defenses and opened things up for others on the field.
His loss means Nelson Agholor has so step up once again as the sole speed threat. The difference between this year and last, though, is that DeVante Parker’s presence has freed Agholor up to move around formations, and he has thrived with the extra space. He’ll be better in 2022.
Jakobi Meyers is as good as ever and clearly remains Mac Jones’ favorite target by a mile. Plus, Parker and Jones have immediately developed chemistry on back-shoulder throws and jump-balls, which is something no one else could consistently execute last year.
So far, the positives have allowed people to somewhat forget that we have no idea what’s happening with Kendrick Bourne, who went from developing stud to doghouse in about two weeks this summer. Then again, he started off a bit slow last year as well before breaking out.
He’s going to have to do it again, because this position could be quite thin until Thornton returns.
Edge Defenders
In case there was any doubt, Judon is still really damn good at football. He has looked borderline unblockable at times, just barreling his way into the backfield for would-be sacks, stuffing runs and blowing up screens seemingly at will.
The key for him: sustaining that level for a whole season. The Patriots will need everything he can give them.
Anfernee Jennings, meanwhile, might have quietly been one of the most surprising performers of training camp, working his way into first-team reps as an edge defender with his strong work against the run and showing off a solid pass rush or two.
Deatrich Wise Jr. has also looked natural as a stand-up or hand-in-the-dirt edge and should see plenty of time rotating out there to shore up the depth outside.
Jennings and Wise playing the way they have has allowed Josh Uche to remain in a role as third-down pass-rusher, where he can pin his ears back and fly around the bend like a bolt of lightning. We haven’t seen the full leap into a complete player yet, but boy can he win a one-on-one rep.
The depth still isn’t great, but it’s been more stable than anticipated.
Offensive Line
The good vibes around this unit have disappeared further and further into memory with every blown blocking assignment in the run game and each unnecessary hit Mac Jones takes.
The struggles are probably more about schematic changes than a lack of talent for a unit that hasn’t changed that much into the past year — rookie Cole Strange has looked just fine, by the way.
But when you look at why the offense has struggled in camp so far, the systemic failures up front are Culprit No. 1.
Additionally, the depth on the line isn’t exactly inspiring. Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown’s injury question marks compelled them to keep by Justin Herron and Yodny Cajuste on the roster, and neither is exactly an amazing backup option at tackle. Then, rookie Chases Hines is currently the only interior backup.
Though that probably won’t be the case when practice squad elevations are allowed for James Ferentz, you’d still better hope no one gets seriously hurt this year. Otherwise, this could get ugly in the trenches, and Mac Jones and the offense can’t afford that.
Cornerbacks
Shifting Jonathan Jones to the outside has transformed the look of this unit.
On one hand, it’s arguably got a higher level of overall competence with him outside as opposed to starting Terrance Mitchell or Jack Jones (for now).
But between Jon Jones, Jalen Mills and Myles Bryant — the presumptive starter in the slot — there’s not a lot of size on the field. Bigger receivers could take advantage of them as DeVante Parker and the Panthers’ D.J. Moore did during camp.
The two younger Joneses (Marcus and Jack) acquitted themselves well in their first training camps, but both need seasoning in coverage — Marcus needs to improve his balance and change-of-direction, and Jack has to stop biting on EVERYTHING.
Meanwhile, Shaun Wade snuck onto the roster because of his upside, solid cover skills and a nose for the football that showed up during preseason games. But he also has to be better at locating the ball as he let a few potential interceptions clang off his helmet or fly past his ear.
The youth movement at the position is understandable and welcome, and there’s certainly talent at the position. There’s also definitely more speed than there was last season, which should help them stand up better against Miami and Buffalo. Still, there’s some risk in relying on such inexperienced backups.
Linebackers (Off-ball)
Ok, seriously, what is it with the Patriots and Jahlani Tavai?
All the evidence of watching him play suggests he’s not very good, but New England is playing around with giving him starting snaps on defense. Rostering him as a special-teams player: fine. Actually putting him next to Ja’Whaun Bentley and asking him to stop an offense feels foolish.
If anyone should start next to Bentley, it’s McMillan, who has made it through training camp healthy and has provided that balance of play strength and speed the Patriots didn’t have at the position in 2021.
Mack Wilson plays with his hair on fire, and it’s fun to watch. Even when it looks like he might be wrong, he moves fast to figure it out. It’d be great if he can pick things up to a point where Tavai never has to play meaningful snaps defensively because Wilson is exactly what this defense needs.
The lack of depth at the position as well as Tavai, though, make this the poorest position on the roster. Expect the safeties to cover for this group a lot.
