New England Patriots final depth chart prediction, pre-training camp

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1. Logan Ryan

2. Malcolm Butler

3. Bradley Fletcher

4. Robert McClain

5. Daxton Swanson

Cut: Darryl Roberts, Tarell Brown, Derek Cox, Jimmy Jean, Justin Green

Easily the most anticipated battle of training camp will be the cornerback position. Ten players, only two of whom are returning Patriots, will be fighting it out for five, maybe six spots.

The unquestioned locks to make the roster are Ryan, Butler and Fletcher. Ryan is the longest-tenured corner on the roster and had a solid offseason; Butler is the reason the Patriots won Super Bowl XLIX; Fletcher is an above-average cornerback despite the flak he caught in Philly.

So that leaves two more spots for the 53-man roster.

Considering how willingly the Patriots let Kyle Arrington walk this offseason, they must have a plan for the slot. And it has McClain’s name all over it, as McClain was an excellent slot man in Atlanta but a mediocre outside corner. So as long as McClain plays the slot and just the slot, the Patriots are good there.

The last spot on the roster goes to Swanson, one of the stars of last summer. After picking off passes left and right in training camp, Swanson ended up on the practice squad, which was an accomplishment in itself considering how stacked the Pats’ cornerback group was last season.

Swanson beats out newly signed veterans Brown and Cox because his best days are ahead of him, not behind him.

Roberts hops on to the practice squad and will definitely be promoted to the active roster once the injury bug hits the secondary.

Next: Safeties