Are the Patriots’ skill position players better this year than last?

Additions at wide receiver

The offense also features a potential upgrade at wide receiver this season, with an influx of size both in the slot and on the outside.

With Edelman sidelined a few weeks with a broken thumb and opening training camp on the NFI (non-football-injury) list, quarterback Tom Brady has been forced to integrate other receivers into the New England offense. Sans his usual safety blankets at slot wide receiver and tight end, Brady getting extra repetitions now with his other receivers is certainly a good thing for the offense down the road.

First-round draft pick K’Neal Harry and undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers have both injected youth, size, and athleticism outside the numbers to the offense already. Harry was expected to be in the mix for a starting role because of his draft position, whereas Meyers has been a complete surprise in camp so far. How both players perform in the preseason should be a source of excitement for fans looking for something new in 2019.

Since Edelman is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, there isn’t a lot of concern long-term at the slot receiver position. Even still, free agent (and much bigger) slot receiver Maurice Harris has been opening eyes during the first five or six practices of camp. Second-year slot receiver Braxton Berrios has struggled a bit in camp thus far, but he still has time to make up for his poor showings with joint practices and preseason games still to come.

Another potential pair of beneficiaries from Edelman being out are young veterans Phillip Dorsett and free agent addition Dontrelle Inman. Dorsett enters Year Three in New England, and somehow now serves as the senior member of the wide receiver group with Edelman on the NFI list. Inman is another big-bodied receiver like Harris, with over 150 NFL receptions to his name. He may be able to help out on the outside in the short-term if he has a strong preseason.

There are some other faces in camp who are current long shots to make the final roster, but whose names still bear remembering. Damoun Patterson and undrafted free agents Ryan Davis and Gunner Olszewski are all likely just in camp to evaluate for a chance to make the practice squad. That list also now includes converted quarterback Danny Etling, who is playing wide receiver in camp with fourth-round draft pick Jarrett Stidham taking his snaps at quarterback.