UPDATE:
The Patriots placed DE Harold Landry and TE CJ Dippre on the active PUP list, while RB Terrell Jennings is on the NFI list to start camp.
Not a huge surprise on Landry, since he didn't participate in the offseason practices. Plus, veterans are given a wide berth by Mike Vrabel. Dippre tweaked something during the practices, but that's disappointing considering the Patriots are already without Julian Hill. It may speed up the process for them to add another TE immediately. Jennings likely injured himself away from the facility.
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Let's reset the roster a bit as the Patriots' first training camp approaches on Saturday — and, by the way, the first padded practice won't be until Thursday, which is when camp truly starts — by ranking the position groups from a confidence perspective, most to least. But first, a small update on second-round pick Gabe Jacas.
Patriots rookies reported to the facility today, but Jacas did not because he remains unsigned. He's the final second-round pick waiting to sign his deal, and only first-round QBs Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson remain ahead of him.
What's the hold-up? It's likely the guaranteed money in the deal. After Jacas had a post-draft medical procedure — which the team may or may not have known about — the Patriots could be balking at guaranteeing a bulk of Jacas' contract (which is the case for second-round picks); or the player could want more than his slot guaranteed. The player selected in front of Jacas, TE Eli Stowers of the Eagles, had 81.8% of his rookie contract guaranteed. The player after Jacas, TE Nate Boerkircher of the Jaguars, had 78.9% guaranteed. That would put Jacas around 80% of his $8.7 million, including $2.76 million in the form of a signing bonus, guaranteed. The Patriots could want some more protection given the haziness around Jacas' health. But, like I said, the player could be asking for more guaranteed money than his "slot." An email to Jacas' agent has not been returned.
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On to the confidence rankings, from most to least:
Defensive tackle: Nope, it's not quarterback, for the reason I'll get to. The Patriots have two studs as starters in Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, and they have players coming on behind them: Cory Durden, Leonard Taylor and Josh Farmer. They are lacking a true run stuffer at the moment, but this is a pretty good group to start camp.
Cornerback: Three standout starters in Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones. Ok, it's not perfect here with Gonzalez's contract situation, and Davis being exposed by some advanced analytics and durability. But it's a damn good group, and there's some interesting younger players competing for the rest of the spots. At the moment, I like this group.
Safety: I think Craig Woodson is an ascending star, and Kevin Byard has lost a step, but crafty veterans can play for a while. The Patriots like where veteran Mike Brown was at by the end of the offseason, and Dell Pettus is a good role player.
Receiver: Certainly a lot of questions with this group, starting with A.J. Brown's knee and Romeo Doubs acclimating to a new system, but on paper it looks good and well-rounded. Mack Hollins, Demario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism are all different and bring their own strengths to the group.
Quarterback: Obviously, if this was just about Drake Maye, it would be higher on the list. But when you have an athletic quarterback who likes to run and hold onto the ball, you have to look at the backup spot. And, right now, Tommy DeVito was underwhelming in the offseason, and rookie Behren Morton is just getting going. The group has potential, but I need to see it first.
Running back: The potential is off the charts for Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson as a duo, but the veteran needs to stay healthy and hang onto the ball, and the second-year back still needs the game to slow down for him, and his blocking needs to be more consistent. The players behind them are all question marks.
Offensive tackle: A healthy Will Campbell, Morgan Moses and first-round pick Caleb Lomu should give the Patriots improved tackle play that should be able to withstand most injury situations. I know most would have this group further down the list, but I think there's a lot of recency bias to when Campbell was not 100%. He's better than you remember.
Tight end/fullback: This group was going to be higher up the list until the Julian Hill injury, which threw things out of whack. At some point, the Patriots might need to bring someone else in. Hunter Henry needs a blocker with him to get freed up to factor more into the passing game. Whether the Patriots have that or not is unknown, but guys like C.J. Dippre and Tanner Arkin will get the first shot. Rookie Eli Raridon should get some receiving looks, but can he rapidly develop as a blocker at the NFL level?
Interior OL: This group could make a huge leap during the season, but I just can't go there yet with a new center (Jared Wilson), an oft-injured talented veteran (Alijah Vera-Tucker), and a player who works his way into acceptable shape (Mike Onwenu). And there's zero depth here beyond the solid Ben Brown. Somebody needs to develop quickly.
Linebacker: Robert Spillane is underrated and underappreciated, but his durability is a little problematic. He's the type who needs to be 100% to really be effective. Christian Ellis is decent at the other spot, but he tends to get exposed by the better teams. The depth is a complete unknown.
Edge: This group could be really good, but the possibility of it going the other way is going to cause some sleepless nights. Dre'Mont Jones could be underrated or a bust as a tweener. Harold Landry's health will always be a question. Elijah Ponder seems to be on the ascent, but he could just be a role player. Jacas isn't signed, and his health is in question. Bradyn Swinson got cut a year ago, but now he's ready for a real role? No question that this group has the most questions on the team and will be watched throughout camp and the season.