The first joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts squarely in the rear-view mirror, the New England Patriots will be hosting two joint sessions this week. The Philadelphia Eagles, who last visited the team’s training camp in 2024, will spend the next two days sharing the fields behind Gillette Stadium with the reigning AFC champions.
The occasion gives us another prime opportunity to update our rundown of position battles. So, let’s get right to it and find out who might be under the most pressure
the next couple of days.
Patriots camp competition update: August 19
Quarterback: The preseason opener and last few practices brought no changes to the Patriots’ quarterback hierarchy. It’s Drake Maye at the top, Tommy DeVito in secure position as his backup, and rookie Behren Morton on the roster bubble as the third option. The Morton decision very well might come down to whether or not depth is needed elsewhere, but even if he does not make the 53, he is a realistic practice squad candidate.
Running back: Terrell Jennings seems the be the frontrunner to earn the third running back spot behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, but he was placed on injured reserve last week and later waived with an injury settlement. While that means he might be able to return further down the line, it also opened the RB3 battle up again. Recently, newly-signed Hassan Haskins and JaMycal Hasty saw heavy snaps in that role, with Lan Larison and Jam Miller both unable to get a hold of it.
Wide receiver: No changes at wide receiver, with the top seven on the depth chart very much set in stone: A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism are the first two tiers of wideouts between the starters (Brown, Doubs, Douglas) and top backups (Boutte, Hollins, Williams, Chism). Of course, what the group will ultimately look like will be seen because there are plenty of questions still. Is Douglas’ recent quiet stretch a concern? Will a Boutte trade happen? Is Williams really in the team’s plans, like Mike Vrabel had said? What about Hollins and Chism, especially with the latter recently getting personal punt protector reps as well?
Tight end: Tanner Arkin has been quiet after his solid start, and was also not part of the top group when the offense split during Sunday’s walkthrough. He still looks like the frontrunner for the third tight end spot, but whether or not the Patriots will carry more than two — those being Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon — has yet to be determined. A player like offensive tackle Caleb Lomu or fullback Reggie Gilliam, both of whom roster locks, could just end up getting TE3 duties as well.
Offensive tackle: Even with the Eagles joint practices and two preseason games left on the itinerary, the Patriots’ offensive tackle spot seems set. Will Campbell and Morgan Moses are locked into the starting roles, with Caleb Lomu and Marcus Bryant as their backups. Any other tackles pushing for the roster seems unlikely at the moment, even though rookie Dametrious Crownover has had some good moments lately.
Interior offensive line: The interior offensive line saw some major changes over the last week, creating a power vacuum behind the starting trio of Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jared Wilson and Mike Onwenu. Ben Brown, after all, is set to miss multiple weeks after leaving the preseason opener in the first quarter, while Andrew Rupcich was since placed on injured reserve. That meant that the Patriots were looking at a backup group led by James Hudson, Jacob Rizy and Mehki Butler. Newly-signed Greg Van Roten, however, projects as the top backup now until Brown is able to return; despite arriving this week, he very well could end up on the roster over the likes of Hudson, Rizy, Butler and others.
Interior defensive line: The competition behind Milton Williams, Christian Barmore and No. 3 defensive tackle Cory Durden remains on. Joshua Farmer looks like the frontrunner right now, while Leonard Taylor and Eric Gregory have also been in the mix. At least one of the three should end up on the team come roster cutdown day, but if the run defense in particular keeps being problematic, New England might start to explore other options to help shore up the group. On Tuesday, the team had former Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones in town for a visit.
Defensive edge: Heading into the second week of preseason, the edge remains probably the biggest question mark on the Patriots’ roster. Dre’Mont Jones and Gabe Jacas are obviously locks to make the team, but the depth behind them is uncertain. Elijah Ponder looks like a safe bet to make it as well at this point in time, while fellow sophomore Bradyn Swinson has run primarily with the second-stringers. Rookie Quintayvious Hutchins, meanwhile, has been getting top-level reps as well lately, while Jesse Luketa and Xavier Hutchins have also had their moments. Every possible composition still seems to be on the table.
Linebacker: Chad Muma, who looked like the frontrunner for the LB3 spot just a week ago, has had some issues lately. He had a quiet preseason opener and has recently missed practice time with an apparent injury. This, in turn, might open the door for K.J. Britt or even sixth-round draft pick Namdi Obiazor to enter the backup linebacker mix as well. And don’t discount Khalil Jacobs either, who like Britt and Obiazor continues to see reps on both defense and special teams.
Cornerback: Has Kindle Vildor started pulling away in the race for the fifth cornerback spot? It sure seems that way after the veteran offseason signing has put together some solid performances lately. He has taken on a starting spot on the outside ever since Christian Gonzalez has become unavailable, and at the moment seems to be ahead of Kobee Minor, Karon Prunty and Channing Canada — none of whom have been able to show much consistency so far this summer despite the occasional big play or top-level rep. If the Patriots carry six CBs, they might just go with Marcellas Dial Jr. instead: the third-year man has some solid versatility as a nickel corner and would also project as a core special teamer.
Safety: John Saunders Jr. caught interceptions in both the joint practice and the preseason bout with the Colts, and will need to carry this momentum to make a push for a roster spot. Right now, after all, Dell Pettus still appears to be ahead of him as the No. 3 safety, while Mike Brown has continuously been used as a personal punt protector. Unless wideout Efton Chism can challenge for that role, it might just be Brown’s saving grace.
Special teams: Niko Lalos’ second stint on the Patriots’ roster came and went, leaving a now-healthy Julian Ashby as the team’s lone long snapper again. His spot on the 53 seems secure, something that is also true for punter Bryce Baringer and, despite missing three field goals in the preseason opener, kicker Andy Borregales. In the return game, Marcus Jones remains the top punt return option while both Kyle Williams and Efton Chism have consistently been part of a kickoff returners group also featuring Lan Larison and recently-signed Hassan Haskins.
The Patriots’ joint practices with the Eagles will begin at 10:15 a.m. ET on both Wednesday and Thursday. After one day off, the two teams will square off on Saturday in Week 2 of the preseason. Kickoff at Gillette Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
