The Patriots' rookies are still in town for a few more days to finish their orientation, and then they'll join their veteran teammates in being off until late July. For most of them, it's their first substantial time off since they reported to summer practices in college almost a year ago. After their season, it was draft prep time, and then they were ushered into the NFL.
But they'll keep working over the next six weeks to some extent to make sure they don't fall behind. Because once the teams report around July 28th, it will be full bore into January.
Where are the rookies heading into the summer? What's being said by and about them? Who has a chance for playing time come the season? It's very, very early, but here's an early read:
Mac Jones, QB
I think we've covered most of Jones the past few days. He's shown a very advanced knowledge of the system for a rookie, but he's going to have times where he struggles seeing new things. The good news is he seems to learn quickly from his mistakes so there's very few days or instances where he's losing ground — even if he "struggles," he applies the lessons forward and is better the next day. Can't say that about all or any of the other QBs.
Arm strength has been solid but nothing to write home about. Needs to work on deep touch as some of his throws are flat. Tremendous accuracy with ball placement in a 15-yard rectangle. There aren't any throws where I've thought, 'He can't make that throw.' He does struggle at times if he neglects his footwork and throws off his back foot, same as anybody else.
What they're saying: "Mac, he’s a young guy, but you can’t really just refer to him as a young guy. You can tell he’s been at a place where’s got some coaching. I think he’s going to be special here in the future.” — Trent Brown.
Will he play much of a role as a rookie? It appears that way right now. With the amount of reps and attention he got in minicamp, it appears the Patriots were at least testing him to see if he can compete this summer. And it appears that there will be a QB competition in training camp and the preseason. The biggest advantage Jones has is his mind should allow the Patriots to use all of the tools that make the Patriots' passing game special. If Cam Newton doesn't make progress there, the Patriots might turn at Jones at some point by default.
Christian Barmore, DT
The second-round pick was in the mix during OTAs but that appeared to lessen during the minicamp. Still, it's hard not to be impressed with his pass-rush ability, and that's likely where he would contribute most as a rookie. The Patriots would likely like to see him increase his upper body strength as he progresses through the system. He didn't do the bench press in the pre-draft process, and he appeared to be lacking in the area during practices (it was not an issue in the college playoffs, however).
What they're saying: "When he walks in the door, you’re going to know who he is. Just by how big he is, how long he is, how tall he is. That’s great. So now, for us, as we get him into our program it’s about teaching him the way we do our fundamentals and technique, and how we do things around here. You’re still getting a young kid that hasn’t had much experience playing football. So the sky’s the limit for him. He’s going to do well for us.” — DeMarcus Covington, D-Line coach.
Will he play much of a role as a rookie? That's going to be a work in progress, mostly due to sheer numbers. You know Lawrence Guy and Davon Gaudchaux are going to be the early-down players. Then it's Deatrich Wise, Byron Cowart, Montravius Adams and Barmore left to fill the other gaps. If Barmore is ahead of schedule, he will make the secondary rotation group behind the starters. Mostly likely, he's up for a subpackage role. Right now, the team appears to really like Adams in that spot, so that's Barmore's competition heading into camp. A lot will be settled by the one-on-ones in camp, so stay on top of our daily numbers!
Ronnie Perkins, Edge/LB
The third-round pick played a bunch of different in minicamp, from having his hand in the dirt on the interior of the line in sub, to standing up at outside linebacker. Much of it is new to him, and while he popped a few times, we wouldn't really say he stood out (it's very hard to get a gauge for any lineman without pads, so I'd caution going nuts one way or the other on any player). It's going to be a learning process for him, but there's no question his college film says he's going to be a player at some point.
What they're saying: "I honestly wouldn't say I've got a real good feel for everything that's going on right now. What I'm doing right now is I'm trying to come in, learn the playbook, learn from the vets, ask my questions whenever I have 'em. So I'm not trying to get into what I'll be doing. I'm really just trying to learn everything and the words and everything." — Perkins.
Will he play much of a role as a rookie? Tough to say at this point. The Patriots have so many numbers on the edge and at linebacker — Chase Winovich was out with a minor injury — but it's impossible to know at this point what direction they're going to go in. If we had to guess right now, the chances of Perkins playing a lot as a rookie are not great. The best hope he has is to figure out what he's doing, and start making plays in camp. That could lead the team to make some veterans expendable, opening playing time for Perkins. I would not count him out, either. He'll get it. He's too good of a football player.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB
The fourth-round pick certainly looks the part with huge thighs and a body seemingly made for contact. He's got quick feet and soft hands for a big guy, but it's very challenging for a rookie back to play in New England. Even players who become very good (James White, Damien Harris) have redshirt years where they are barely seen. The good news is Ivan Fears is coaching him hard as usual — it got loud a few times — so Stevenson is in good hands.
What they're saying: "We'll let him determine where he fits in. The thing that we like about the kid, he's a big kid. He's got great feet. Great athletic ability. He seems to be a smart player. We'll find out if he can get it all learned, get it all done. If he can make the transition from what he was doing at Oklahoma to here, the guy has got a hell of a future for himself. But he's gotta get it done. And we'll see when we get to training camp. ... Know who he reminds me of is LeGarrette Blount. That kind of body. That kind of athletic ability. He's probably a better pass receiver than even LeGarrette was. This kid has got pretty good hands. There are a lot of doors open here. We'll see what sticks to him."
Will he play much of a role as a rookie? Without an injury or a trade, it's tough to see that. But funnier things have happened. The better he picks up the blitz — James White slid there last year, and JJ Taylor is undersized — the better his chances.