The Patriots still have to make a move(s) when it comes to moving Tyquan Thornton and, possibly, Ty Montgomery, to short-term IR, but we largely have a good picture of their roster heading into the 2022 season.
The Patriots have recently added WR Lynn Bowden, who was the third-round pick of the Raiders in 2020, to the practice squad. He was then traded to the Dolphins, who released him this week. Bowden is a gadget-type player. Patriots are likely using this as a tryout/evaluation. Of course, he was just with the Patriots' first opponent, the Dolphins, but coach Mike McDaniel said today he isn't worried about any intel.
"No," he told reporters. "I’m happy for Lynn. I used to be concerned about that. But you can go online now and buy almost every playbook I’ve ever worked on.”
Let's take a look at the Patriots' depth chart, rank each position by confidence, and give you a snapshot of where things stand entering the season.
RANKING THE POSITIONS BY CONFIDENCE
ROLB
Matthew Judon
DaMarcus Mitchell ®
There's little doubt that Judon is the best player on the Patriots' roster, and it's not really close. You're hoping he took the lessons learned from his fade last season and he goes from bell to bell. If that happens, he could be in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation.
Mitchell isn't ready behind him, but you also have Jennings and Uche at this spot. But keep an eye on Mitchell. He has a big size/strength advantage on the other players vs. the run and we could see him rapidly improving.
QB
Mac Jones
Brian Hoyer
Bailey Zappe ®
Jones is smart and tough as hell, and the franchise is in good hands with him ... if you protect him, surround him with talent, and coach him up. The worry is the Patriots have whiffed on all things this season, at least to start. We do know Jones will never stop trying and improving. No worries about him checking out.
RB1
Damien Harris
Rhamondre Stevenson
In a vacuum, we love this tandem and think they are totally underrated nationally. But they are a byproduct of the blocking, and that's a big question mark entering the season. Can't be productive if the holes aren't there.
C
David Andrews
Tough, smart and his technique is great. The Patriots can't afford to lose him.
DT/DE
Lawrence Guy
Christian Barmore
This is mostly about Barmore, who is closing in on being the full-time starter over Guy, who is on the decline. Barmore seems to have built on his rookie success. That doesn't happen with every player.
TE
Hunter Henry
Not very dynamic, but if you put it on him on third down or in the red zone, he's going to come down with it.
SLOT WR
Jakobi Meyers
The Henry of receivers.
SS
Adrian Phillips
Kyle Dugger
Jabrill Peppers
If you put the best parts of each player — Phillips (brains/instincts), Dugger (explosion) and Peppers (physicality) — you have an All-Pro strong safety. Can the Patriots mix and match enough to make the group as effective as possible? That's a tough coaching ask.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
WR1
DeVante Parker
Tyquan Thornton ®
Will Parker stay healthy? Will he be able to get off tight coverage (advanced analytics say he has some of the worst separation in the league)? Can Thornton be a factor after the injury and give the Patriots a dangerous weapon? If the answers are all yes, this group is dangerous. But lots of questions.
FS
Devin McCourty
Joshuah Bledsoe
McCourty has lost a step but he's invaluable at getting everyone on the same page and being that last line of defense. Bledsoe has a lot of upside.
LT
Trent Brown
Justin Herron
If you knew Brown would start all 17 games and be dialed in, this spot would be much higher up the list. Brown can be a very good left tackle. But he's averaged 8.3 games the last three seasons, including nine for the Patriots last year. And his buy-in is always a question. This is a big bet.
RG
Mike Onwenu
Chasen Hines ®
Onwenu is a good player headed for a long career. Even if RT is his best spot — the Patriots tried all offseason to trade Wynn — he's still solid at RG in any scheme. Scary depth behind him, however.
NT
Davon Godchaux
Carl Davis
Daniel Ekuale SUS
Belichick thinks Godchaux is a good player, as evidenced by the $10.4 million they're paying him for a 2-down player — many around the league questioned that move. When he wants to play and is focused, he's dominating. Too many times that wasn't the case last year. Davis might be the best backup on the team.
WR2
Nelson Agholor
Kendrick Bourne
Polar opposites. Agholor had a great summer and seems more relaxed, ready to make an impact in Year 2. Bourne has lost his confidence and doesn't look like the same player, even though his skills are the same. This could be a swing group for this offense and team. If they both hit, good things are in store.
LE
Deatrich Wise
Sam Roberts ®
Wise and his mini-me are solid players who will flash big plays on occasion. Need to hold up against the run.
(Adam Richins for BSJ)
WLB
Raekwon McMillan
Mack Wilson
Have a sneaky feeling McMillan, after a very slow start, is starting to come on and he could be a nice playmaker for this defense. Wilson is in the same boat. If you want a truly faster defense, these two need to play.
RCB
Jalen Mills
Shaun Wade
If this was JC Jackson, this position would be way up the list. We'll learn a lot about Mills against the Dolphins, but this seems to be asking a lot of him. Patriots seem to be hoping Wade is going to develop. We'll see.
LCB
Jonathan Jones
Jack Jones ®
If Jones was at slot corner, he could be in the top five. Boundary is a different beast and we'll have to see how it goes in the games. Like Jones a lot but he seems like he's a year or two away from being a no-doubt starter.
MLB
Ja'Whaun Bentley
Jahlani Tavai
Bentley improves incrementally every year, but he's not an impact player at an important spot. And don't get us started on Tavai.
PASS RB
Ty Montgomery
Pierre Strong ®
One's injured and the other is not ready. Hard to be optimistic, at least to start the season. Expect a lot of Stevenson, which could be OK.
LG
Cole Strange ®
Very athletic and tough, so it's only a question of when he becomes a good player, not if. Playing really well as a rookie might be asking a lot.
RT
Isaiah Wynn
Yodny Cajuste
Wynn is among the most unreliable players on the roster. And Cajuste has great tools, but they don't show as much in game situations.
SLOT CB
Myles Bryant
Marcus Jones ®
This could be a crucial position for the Patriots and you wonder if they are going to stick with this lineup when the season starts (Jones is much better at slot). Bryant had a rough close last year, and a rough summer. Jones is small and doesn't look ready.
LOLB (This is not a starting position, only for matchups)
Anfernee Jennings
Josh Uche
Jennings showed up late in preseason games but has yet to prove himself against starters. Uche seems to only win with speed, and that doesn't work much on the NFL level.
TE2
Jonnu Smith
They'll get him some yards and touches on naked bootlegs, but they need much more from him down the field and we have seen no signs that is going to happen. Fourth-highest cap number on the team and signed through 2024.
Which rankings do you disagree with?
