With the preseason starting Thursday, this seems like a good time to compile the 1-on-1 pass rushing/blocking numbers and put them into context. So let's dive into the numbers for the offensive and defensive lines after four sessions, then give out some awards for each group.
DEFENSE
DEC W/L: Decisive wins or losses.
Most impressive
DT LaBryan Ray: The 6-4, 283-pound undrafted rookie out of Alabama has been one of the biggest surprises of camp to this point on either side of the ball. As laid out in his NFL.com draft bio, Ray has always had immense talent — he was a top five-star recruit coming out of high school — but he had a terrible run of injuries at Alabama:
Injuries stalled this Alabama native from becoming a playmaker his first three years with the Tide. The five-star prospect and top 30 overall recruit could only play in six games (five tackles, 2.5 for loss, one sack) as a true freshman for the national champions due to injuries. Ray stayed healthy in 2018, playing in all 15 games (one start) and racking up 39 tackles, six for loss with 2.5 sacks. There were high expectations for Ray’s junior campaign, but after just three starts (1.5 for loss with one sack), he redshirted the season with a foot injury. He missed six games with an elbow injury during the team's championship 2020 season, playing in seven contests with three starts (12 tackles, 0.5 sack). The next season, Ray made two starts in 13 appearances (11 tackles, three for loss with one sack), missing the first two games with a groin injury.
His quickness has been tough for the interior linemen to deal with, but he does have some power as well. He is very similar to former Patriots Adam Butler and he has the chance, if he stays healthy and puts on weight, to be a better all-around player. It's very early, but he seems to have locked up a roster spot already. Now we need to see if he can stay healthy.
Least impressive
DE Ronnie Perkins: The 2021 third-round pick should have some expectations on him due to his draft slot, and his college film was really good. But he's only won 33 percent of his reps and been on the wrong end of two lopsided defeats. He has a very tough time getting around the bigger tackles that he's going against due to his size. On paper, his 6-2.5, 253 pounds seems to be a decent fit for his spot, but he plays smaller to this point for some reason. Or maybe the Patriots' tackles are just that good. We'll have to see how he does in the preseason, and he needs to beat some real NFL players (not third-stringers) to impress the coaches. His roster spot feels like it's in jeopardy as he continues to run on the third team.
Biggest surprise
DE Anfernee Jennings (1-7-3): I was surprised the numbers came out like this because Jennings has had a strong camp, especially in team drills. Not sure if these numbers change my view of that, but it's definitely noteworthy. He's still running high up on the sub package depth chart so I'm not overly concerned, but I will be watching him more closely.
Biggest worry
DE Josh Uche: He's won 50 percent of his reps, so that's good. But if pass rushing is going to be his thing, and it should be, would like to see him around or over 60 percent by the end of camp. Where he is right now is fine for just a subpackage role — which is where it appears he is slotted right now — but if wants to be more than just Chase Winovich's fill-in, he's going to need to start dominating.
OFFENSE
Most impressive
OT Yodny Cajuste: The 2019 third-round pick was 1-2 on the first day and then has gone 10-1 since. It's certainly been a long and winding road for a top draft pick, but he's finally starting to put it all together with his immense physical gifts (build, arm length, quick feet). He's tough to get around and he can mirror very well. Now we need to see if this translates into the games, and he should get a good chance with Isaiah Wynn on the shelf. A strong preseason by Cajuste could lead to pushing Wynn off the roster if the Patriots can find a taker for his $10.4 million salary.
Least impressive
OG Cole Strange: It's still early and he's a rookie, but there's little question that the first-round pick has gotten off to a slow start in camp. He's had issues blocking speed and power. He started off overaggressive and has settled down, but at his size (305 pounds soaking wet probably), he's going to need to be technically perfect or else he can get tossed off balance by bigger and strong defensive tackles. The Giants have some big boys up front so this is a good test. A slow start, yes, but a very long ways to go.
Biggest surprises
OGs Arlington Hambright, Drew Desjarlais: Hambright, 26, was a seventh round pick of the Bears in 2020 and spent last season on their practice squad. Desjarlais, 25, is from Belle River, Ontario and was the fourth overall pick of the Blue Bombers in 2019. He played two seasons in the CFL (2020 was canceled) and won two Grey Cups and was a West Division all-star last season. Both players have been very effective to this point and could bring some competition to Mike Onwenu (like Ted Karras last year) if he doesn't play better at guard again. It's very early but to this point, you could make the argument that an interior of Hambright, Strange and Desjarlais could be New England's best zone blocking line, if they stick with it. All three can move and have the lighter physical profile traditionally favored in that scheme.
Biggest worry
Strange: Don't like to repeat choices and you could make an argument here for David Andrews (who may not fit this scheme) and Justin Herron (who has been worse in team drills), but there's little doubt Strange's slow start is notable and you do worry about his jump from UT-Chattanooga to the NFL level. He has a bright future when he gets more of an NFL body, but this might be a little early for him. Still, a month to go until real games start.