The New England Patriots will use the next few days to examine the roster and cut it down to 53 players before Sunday's roster cutdown deadline at 6:00 p.m. ET.
Even after Thursday's disastrous preseason finale, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel will take all of training camp and the entire preseason into consideration when making his decisions. Granted, there might have been some performances in the 37-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns that ultimately force Vrabel to lean more in a certain direction.
With that said, the Patriots are lacking in quality depth this year. That much was obvious from the loss to the Browns. So the team will have to weigh considerations heavily on talent and need.
Here is my latest 53-man roster projection after the preseason
finale:
Quarterback (3)
- Drake Maye
- Tommy DeVito
- Behren Morton
The Patriots have one of the NFL's best young quarterbacks in Drake Maye, and Tommy DeVito has spent training camp and the preseason proving he can be a capable backup. Rookie Behren Morton had a rough go of it in the preseason finale, but he had a good enough summer to stick around as a developmental project.
Running back (2)
- Rhamondre Stevenson
- TreVeyon Henderson
None of the other running backs stood out during the summer behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. There was no Antonio Gibson on the roster to ensure a No. 3 role on the initial 53-man roster. The Patriots will likely run with two running backs and pick from the practice squad during the season.
Wide receiver (6)
- A.J. Brown
- Romeo Doubs
- DeMario Douglas
- Mack Hollins
- Efton Chism III
- Kyle Williams
With Kayshon Boutte gone, the Patriots no longer need to carry seven receivers on their main roster. The six favorites on the roster have been highlighted since Day 1, and that isn't changing.
Tight end/fullback (4)
- Hunter Henry
- Eli Raridon
- Tanner Arkin
- Reggie Gilliam (FB)
Tanner Arkin hasn't stood out as much as he did earlier in training camp, but he might be the Patriots' best option as a blocking tight end. Hunter Henry is one of Drake Maye's favorite targets, and Eli Raridon is a promising young tight end who should help immediately in the passing game. Meanwhile, the Patriots will get a massive boost at fullback with Reggie Gilliam on the field.
Offensive line (9)
- Will Campbell
- Alijah Vera-Tucker
- Jared Wilson
- Mike Onwenu
- Morgan Moses
- Caleb Lomu
- Marcus Bryant
- Ben Brown
- Greg Van Roten
The depth at guard was a serious concern when both Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich went down in the season opener. However, Brown should be working his way back, and the team picked up a highly experienced veteran in 36-year-old Greg Van Roten. As long as the unit remains healthy, the offensive line should be much improved in 2026.
Defensive line (5)
- Milton Williams
- Christian Barmore
- Cory Durden
- Joshua Farmer
- Eric Gregory
The Patriots were much stronger along the defensive front when they had both Khyiris Tonga and Cory Durden. Now, Durden will have to do all of the heavy lifting at nose tackle. The good news is that New England still has arguably the best one-two punch at defensive tackle with Milton Williams and Christian Barmore.
Linebacker (5)
- Robert Spillane
- Christian Elliss
- Khalil Jacobs
- K.J. Britt
- Namdi Obiazor
The depth at linebacker has been questionable for the Patriots. Chad Muma was initially viewed as the No. 3 best option, but he fell off a cliff in training camp. K.J. Britt stepped up in the preseason, and rookie Namdi Obiazor made enough plays to earn a roster spot.
EDGE (5)
- Dre'Mont Jones
- Elijah Ponder
- Gabe Jacas
- Bradyn Swinson
- Quintayvious Hutchins
Harold Landry III (PUP)
Harold Landry missed all of training camp and the preseason. So the odds of him returning and being ready by Week 1 feel like a long shot at best. The Patriots might need to consider signing another veteran to boost their edge-rushing unit, which looks like one of the worst in the NFL on paper.
Cornerback (7)
- Christian Gonzalez
- Carlton Davis III
- Marcus Jones
- Charles Woods
- Karon Prunty
- Channing Canada
- Kindle Vildor
Watching the cornerback depth crumble against the Browns in the preseason finale was disheartening. However, at the top of the depth chart, the Patriots have one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL. They still need to settle up with the Christian Gonzalez contract dispute to make sure that statement stands.
Safety (4)
- Kevin Byard
- Craig Woodson
- Dell Pettus
- Jaylen Reed
Brenden Schooler (NFI)
Brenden School falls in a similar situation to Harold Landry. He hasn't practiced all summer, and there is no certainty that he will be ready in time for the start of the season. With that said, Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson are locks to make the roster. Dell Pettus is the top backup, and the Patriots just traded wideout Kayshon Boutte in a deal that included Jaylen Reed.
Specialists (3)
- K Andy Borregales
- P Bryce Baringer
- LS Julian Ashby
The only question with the Patriots' specialists is the health status of punter Bryce Baringer. Matt Haack was one of the unsung heroes (if there were any) in Thursday's game against the Browns. He would be the easy favorite for the starting punter job if Baringer's injury sidelines him longer than expected.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots 53-man roster projection after ugly preseason finale
