With the Patriots being done with their spring workouts and now off for over a month until training camp, we figured this would be a good time to rank their positional groups.
The team has quite a bit of depth from top to bottom, which means the majority of the positions are actually in good shape, although there are still a few that need some work.
Here are our rankings, which of course could change between now and the start of the season.
1. Offensive line
This may be one of the best units in football, even though it lost Joe Thuney in free agency. Isaiah Wynn will return at left tackle, as well as David Andrews at center and Shaq Mason at right guard. It appears Michael Onwenu will slide inside to replace Thuney and then Trent Brown will play right tackle in his return to the team. Then there’s Ted Karras and Justin Herron as dependable backups. This position was strong in 2020 and the same will likely be said again in 2021.
2. Cornerback
This is assuming Stephon Gilmore will be on the roster, which things seem to be trending in that direction. Although Gilmore will be 31 years old in September, he’s still one of the best cornerbacks in the league and can shutdown down the majority of the top receivers in the game. Behind him there’s JC Jackson, who some believe will be a No. 1 corner very soon. On top of being strong at the top, there’s newcomer Jalen Mills, who can play all over the secondary, along with slot corner Jonathan Jones and a youngster in Myles Bryant. Not only does this position have stars at the top, it’s fairly deep as well.
3. Tight end
The Patriots have had some of the worst production in the league from this position over the last two seasons, but it addressed it in a big way this offseason by adding free agents Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. If these two play to their potential, they could be the best tight end duo in the NFL. On top of these two, Devin Asiasi had a strong spring in his second year in the league and seems primed to be much better than he was as a rookie.
4. Linebacker
This position was an issue last year, but with Dont’a Hightower back after opting out in 2020 and then adding Kyle Van Noy and Matt Judon, as well as Josh Uche seemingly ready to make a huge Year 1 to Year 2 jump, this position should be a bright spot in 2021. After being forced into big roles last year, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Terez Hall should be more of role players this year, which is what they are suited to be.
5. Special teams
Pro Bowler punter Jake Bailey returns and so does veteran kicker Nick Folk, who is coming off arguably the best year of his long career. Besides these two, the team still has core special teamers like Matthew Slater, Justin Bethel and Cody Davis. Once again, the Patriots don’t have to worry about this group.
6. Running back
Another solid position for the Patriots with Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White, Brandon Bolden, J.J. Taylor and rookie Rhamondre Stevenson. This position could be ranked a bit higher, but there are injury concerns with Harris and Michel, as both were sidelined a good deal last season. This is a position that certainly could climb these rankings as the season nears because the talent is there.
7. Safety
This is another position that could be higher, but there are some questions with Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips getting up there in age. It also lost Patrick Chung this offseason, who was one of the most underrated players in recent years league-wide. Kyle Dugger should make a big impact in his second season, so this is another group that could be ranked higher as the year goes on.
8. Defensive line
Going into the offseason this was going to be the worst on the roster, but some changes were made. For starters, Lawrence Guy was brought back, and then Henry Anderson, Davon Godchaux and Montravius Adams were added via free agency. There are questions with all three additions when it comes to just how good they can be, and also Guy is another year older, so it’s worth wondering how much can be put on his plate. If everything goes as planned, this could be a major strength of the team, but right now there are some questions that need to be answered.
9. Quarterback
While Mac Jones is the Patriots quarterback of the future, he hasn’t taken a NFL snap so it’s hard to fully count on him for 2021 right now. And then coming off his 2020 season, there isn’t much confidence surrounding Cam Newton. Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer each have their strengths, but not enough to change how this position is viewed. If Jones is ready to start Week 1, this position could climb the rankings, but right now near the bottom is where it belongs.
10. Wide receiver
While there are a number of solid players at this position, they are a bunch of No. 3s and 4s, so it is lacking a top-end talent. Right now, the best two players are Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor. While these are two decent players, it’s not who you’re looking for to be at the top of the depth chart. Fortunately, the Patriots have a good tight ends group to make up for the subpar group at wide receiver.
