New England Patriots: 6 players to watch tonight

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

6. Chris Harper

The news that Brian Tyms will likely miss the entire regular season bodes well for this undrafted rookie. Injuries to Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Aaron Dobson this preseason has really left the Patriots vulnerable at the position, so this is as good of a time as any for the Cal product to make a 53-man roster.

Harper played well in the preseason opener, catching all seven passes that were thrown his way. He has displayed impressive ability when it comes to high-pointing passes throughout training camp, and he made an outstanding catch in full pads on Monday.

Here are a few things Harper said to WEEI.com on Friday:

"I think it’s a great opportunity. I’m just going to make the most of it. I hope the other guys get back healthy and we can all keep competing. I think the way they worked me in is really key to me starting to be comfortable here because early in the camp, they kind of slowed me into reps and then things started to speed up as guys started to go down. That’s how I got comfortable, just easily getting settled in."

With a good performance tonight against the same Saints cornerbacks he’s been up against all week, Harper will be that much closer to earning the last spot on the depth chart.

Next: 5. Logan Ryan