New England Patriots: 53-man roster projection after two preseason games
By Brian Hines
Safety (5): Patrick Chung, Nate Ebner, Duron Harmon, Devin McCourty, Eddie Pleasant
Eddie Pleasant sneaks on the list instead if Jordan Richards. Pleasant brings lots of versatility to the team and was spoken highly of by Coach Belichick:
"“Eddie’s an experienced player that’s versatile,” Belichick said to Zack Cox of NESN.com. “He does a lot of things in the kicking game. He’s played safety. He’s also played some corner or nickel position on defense for the Texans. He’s a smart kid.”"
Richards is coming off a rough Super Bowl 52 performance, allowing three catches on three targets for 81 yards. He’s appeared on special teams for New England but continues to be a defensive liability, whether it was in his 18 defensive snaps in 2016 or his 272 defensive snaps last season. Richards has had a rough preseason, being called for numerous penalties and missing tackles in the secondary, leaving the door open for Pleasant.
Other than Pleasant or Richards, the other four Patriot safeties are a near lock. Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon is one of the best trio’s at the position in the entire league and often share the field together. Nate Ebner should be on the final 53-man roster seeing most of his work on special teams as usual.