1 – During his first few press conferences of OTA workouts this spring, new Patriots’ head coach Jerod Mayo has emphasized things like “competition,” “opportunities” and “work” when discussing the action taking place on the practice fields of Gillette Stadium.
This would seem to be a minor but maybe significant alteration from Bill Belichick’s past assertions that spring work was more about teaching than evaluation. For Mayo, the process of earning a spot on the New England roster and seeing players lay the competitive foundation to get the Patriots back to a competitive level on Sundays has already begun.
With that in mind at this point given a handful of voluntary OTA workouts in the books and mandatory veteran mini-camp on the horizon, it felt like a good time to rank the most competitive position groups on the New England roster in Mayo’s first opportunity to turn around both the culture and the winning record in Foxborough.
Wide receiver: No, this position group is not “stacked” as veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster would like us to believe. There is no obvious No. 1 option and the level of competition is more middling at this point than it is elite. But, with guys like Tyquan Thornton and rookie Javon Baker already making their share of plays in shorts and t-shirts there is certainly going to be a pretty decent battle for roster spots and roles on the wide receiver depth chart. Is Smith-Schuster the veteran No. 1 option or fighting for a roster spot? Is second-year slot guy DeMario Douglas ready to add the rich history at that position? Are the rookies Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk potential impact guys right out of the gates? When will Kendrick Bourne be ready to join the fun? Watching the competition at receiver unfold this summer and early fall should be very interesting, at the very least.
2 – Quarterback: Given that Mayo has essentially said he expects to trim the QB spot from four players down to three by training camp, the competition has clearly already begun. Jacoby Brissett is competing to hold onto the bridge job most presume he was signed to fill. No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye is competing to get on the field as fast as possible. Veteran holdover Bailey Zappe says he’s been told he’s fighting for the starting job that he’s held a various times over the last two seasons. Physical freak Joe Milton is in the mix as a developmental option. All eyes will be on the QB spot this summer and the potential transition from Brissett to Maye, whenever that may come.
3 – Left tackle: Here again, competition and high level competition are two different things. As Eliot Wolf predicted, veteran signing Chukwuma Okorafor has been taking the top left tackle reps in OTAs. The former Steelers right tackle will get first shot at the transition, one that isn’t easy for all players. Rookie Caedan Wallace, a right tackle at Penn State, could get his shot. Vederian Lowe could be in the mix. Maybe Calvin Anderson or others if things don’t go well. This could be the most important competition on the team, given how the results could so directly impact the quarterbacks, offense and team’s chance of winning.
4 – Guard: Former first-round pick Cole Strange isn’t healthy and won’t be for a while, apparently. Aside from captain mainstay David Andrews at center, that leaves plenty of reps to fight for on the interior offensive line. Newcomer Nick Leverett appears to be in the mix early on. Sidy Sow too. Atonio Mafi has been getting reps at center. Fourth-round pick Layden Robinson was considered a possible rookie starter by some draft analysts. There’s plenty of youthful potential in this mix, but how it all shakes out won’t be decided until the pads come on in August. And maybe beyond.
5 – Cornerback: The top of the cornerback position is pretty much set, unless there is a late signing to alter the makeup of the position. Second-year stud Christian Gonzalez is the top dog. Veteran Jonathan Jones will be next in line – whether lined up inside or out. Beyond that, the competition will be to fill out the complementary roles at the position. Marcus Jones returns from essentially a lost second season. This spring lesser-known guys like Alex Austin and Azizi Hearn appear to be making a run at carving out a role. The competition for backend jobs in the back end will decide just how top-heavy this position is. Whether they want to admit it or not, Patriots fans may miss Myles Bryant this fall.
6 – Edge: There is plenty of talent and versatility on the edge of the defensive front, part of a line that is probably the overall strength of the team. Matthew Judon hasn’t been at OTAs in front of the media, but the veteran sounds like he’s on a mission to prove he can come back from injury and get back to a high level of play in a contract year. Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings have both proven to be impactful young players at times, each returning to continue to build on their efforts. Keion White as drawn rave early reviews from Mayo as a guy who could be in line for a Year 2 Jump on the end of the line as he’s taking reps as a bigger stand-up edge guy in OTAs. There will be plenty of bodies and combinations of skills at first-year coordinator DeMarcus Covington’s disposal on the edge of the defense this fall.
7 – Kicker: Chad Ryland did not have a good rookie season as a fourth-round pick, hitting just 16 of 25 field goal attempts and missing one PAT. New England brought in competition in the form of veteran Joey Slye.
Ryland is taking the challenge head on and saying all the right things as he looks to hold onto his job. If he hits his kicks this summer, he won’t have a problem. If not, he and the Patriots have a big problem.