We know the preseason “doesn’t count” and they’ve largely been playing against second- and third-stringers, but the New England Patriots have looked ready for regular season football over their first two tune-up games.
While those performances bode well for their outlook in 2021, however, it also means Bill Belichick will have some tough decisions to make when he has to trim the roster to 53 players on Aug. 31.
You know where we’re headed with this one, folks.
With one preseason game left to play and less than three weeks left until the regular season kicks off, let’s project what the 53-man roster should look like following Thursday’s win over the Eagles.
Patriots: 53-man roster prediction after win over Eagles
Patriots Quarterbacks (2)
Cam Newton, Mac Jones
The Patriots could potentially keep Brian Hoyer on the 53-man roster, as they reportedly like what the 35-year-old brings to the table as a mentor for Mac Jones, so keep an eye out for that as we approach the Aug. 31 deadline.
The good news for the Patriots is that both Newton and Jones looked like starters against the Eagles. Newton finished 8-of-9 for 103 yards and a TD (151.4 rating), while Jones went 13-of-19 for 146 yards (91.1 rating).
In other words, there’s only room for two QBs on this roster.
Running Backs (4)
Damien Harris, James White, Rhamondre Stevenson, JJ Taylor
The Patriots have big plans for Damien Harris, who burst onto the scene last season after a lost rookie year in 2019. The 24-year-old will enter the year as the starter and should be a lock to log 15 or so carries per game.
Behind Harris, the Patriots will keep veteran pass-catching specialist James White, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson and 2020 undrafted free agent JJ Taylor, who rushed 12 times for 93 yards and a TD vs the Eagles. If not for that performance, Taylor might’ve started the year on the practice squad.
As far as Stevenson is concerned, it’ll be worth monitoring if his fumble on Thursday landed him in Belichick’s doghouse. However, the young back has arguably been the Patriots’ preseason MVP and it’d be cruel to leave him off the final roster.
The big omission here is Sony Michel, who should be dealt sometime in the near future amid his resurgent preseason.
Wide Receivers (6)
Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Matthew Slater, Gunner Olszewski, Kristian Wilkerson
Belichick isn’t known for keeping more than five WRs on the roster, and the Patriots will at least start the year with that many. However…we’re prepared to bump that slightly.
Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and Matthew Slater are all roster locks, and it’ll be interesting to see who gets the final spot, or whether Belichick chooses to go above and beyond. In our eyes, Gunner Olszewski’s versatility as an intermediate WR and special teams returner gives him a slight edge over Kristian Wilkerson.
Having said that, Wilkerson, despite some drops, has made an impact in the preseason, hauling in six catches for 75 yards in the two games.
While Wilkerson doesn’t offer enough value on special teams to supplant Olszewski, the former undrafted free agent could force Belichick to keep a sixth receiver on the roster if he shows out against the Giants in Week 3.
As for N’Keal Harry, well, he’s already been ruled out for Week 1, so expect him to start the year on injured reserve if he isn’t traded.
Tight Ends (4)
Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Devin Asiasi, Jakob Johnson
This is one of the easiest positions to predict.
Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith will be focal points of the offense after they signed for a combined $87 million this offseason. Devin Asiasi came on at the end of his rookie year and will be a serviceable third-string pass catcher.
While this group could change if Matt LaCosse gets healthy — he was knocked out of last Monday’s joint practice with the Eagles — Jakob Johnson is simply too important to the Patriots’ blocking plans to not make the roster.
Apologies to the injured Dalton Keene, whose time seems to have passed him by.
Offensive Line (8)
David Andrews, Isaiah Wynn, Shaq Mason, Michael Onwenu, Trent Brown, Ted Karras, Justin Herron, James Ferentz
The Patriots overhauled their offensive line this offseason, and the starters are locked and loaded for the 2021 season.
In terms of the backup spots, we think New England will be keeping three on the final roster with a couple of emergency options stashed on the practice squad in case the group’s ravaged by injuries.
You can go ahead and pencil in Justin Herron as the backup swing tackle, while Ted Karras and James Ferenz can play both center and guard.
Defensive Line (6)
Deatrich Wise, Lawrence Guy, Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore, Henry Anderson, Carl Davis
The Patriots actually have depth on their defensive line, which means guys like Montravius Adams and Bill Murray likely won’t make the cut.
Deatrich Wise and Lawerence Guy both earned contract extensions this offseason. Davon Godchaux was signed in free agency and the Patriots invested a third-round pick in Christian Barmore back in April.
Henry Anderson, meanwhile, hasn’t popped at camp, but surely New England wouldn’t have given him a two-year contract this offseason if they weren’t planning to make him part of the DL rotation in 2021.
And finally, we get to Carl Davis, who’s made an impact against the run both in camp and the preseason. It might be tough for him to get regular snaps, but he’d be a worthwhile backup behind Godchaux and Guy on the interior.
Linebackers (8)
Dont’a Hightower, Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Josh Uche, Ronnie Perkins, Chase Winovich, Anfernee Jennings
The first six names listed above are locks to play a significant role in 2021. While Chase Winovich seems to have been leapfrogged by Ronnie Perkins on the depth chart, he offers too much value as a pass rusher to be left off the roster.
With regard to the final spot, we’re giving Anfernee Jennings the edge right now, but his spot is far from secure. If the 2020 third-rounder doesn’t perform in Week 3, don’t be surprised if he’s replaced by Harvey Langi or Brandon King.
Cornerbacks (6)
Stephon Gilmore, JC Jackson, Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones, Joejuan Williams, Justin Bethel
The Patriots still haven’t addressed Stephon Gilmore’s contract situation, but all signs point to it getting resolved at some point between now and the start of the regular season. The star corner’s been rehabbing from offseason quad surgery, but Belichick’s latest comments indicate he’s nearing a return.
JC Jackson, Jalen Mills and Jonathan Jones should round out the rest of the starting group, while preseason star Joejuan Williams and veteran Justin Bethel are solid options at the back end of the cornerback rotation.
Safeties (6)
Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger, Myles Bryant, Cody Davis, Adrian Colbert
The Patriots are so deep in the secondary, but something tells us they’ll end up keeping six safeties on the active roster.
Adrian Phillips deserves snaps after he’s been a playmaking machine at training camp. We really don’t need to say much about Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger and Myles Bryant, but look for Cody Davis and Adrian Colbert to crack the 53-man.
Davis is a stud on special teams, while Colbert has had some impactful moments at camp and in the preseason, the most recent of which came against the Eagles when he intercepted Nick Mullens in the fourth quarter.
Specialists (3)
Nick Folk, Jake Bailey, Joe Cardona
Unfortunately for Quinn Nordin, his nightmare outing vs Philadelphia was likely enough to convince Belichick to keep him off the roster.
Luckily for Belichick, however, both Nick Folk and Joe Cardona returned to practice on Monday after missing time with injuries. As long as they get through the next few weeks with a clean bill of health, they’ll feature on the final roster.
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