New England Patriots vs. Washington Redskins: Five Players To Watch

May 3, 2013; Foxboro, MA USA; New England Patriot rookie Duron Harmon speaks to the media during rookie minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

2. Duron Harmon

Lost among the exciting secondary talk has been the development of Duron Harmon, who will likely be the starting strong safety for New England. Sure, Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, and Devin McCourty dominating the field is nice, but Harmon will be playing a big role for the Pats this year, so he must step his game up.

I am not saying he has to rise to the level of Revis and McCourty, but he better be ready to play some damn good football. Harmon is the “weak link” in Bill Belichick’s defensive backfield, which unfortunately means the opposition will attempt to single him out. I really am looking forward to seeing how Harmon looks not only in coverage tomorrow, but in coming up to help in the box, reading the offense, and making sure he is in the correct position. These are all crucial aspects of playing safety in this league, and there is no better place to start honing his skills than the first preseason game.

Robert Griffin III isn’t Joe Montana, but at the same time, he isn’t Tim Tebow. This will be a nice opening test for Harmon, as it is not too hard, but it won’t be a cakewalk either.