Perhaps the most overlooked expected roster battle on the Patriots roster this offseason will inevitably be the backfield, mostly for the RB3 role behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
After last month's draft, there was a lot of hype around seventh-round pick Jam Miller, who impressed throughout his college career, and he quickly became the favorite to steal that role. And although that sentiment hasn't changed drastically just yet, the first media present OTAs this week threw a new name into the mix: Lan Larison.
The 24-year-old was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent last year, and he almost immediately put himself on the radar throughout training camp. He looked poised to earn a spot on the 2025 roster until he suffered a season-ending injury that forced him to miss his rookie year.
Now that he's back on the field this summer, he has another chance to stand out and take what looked like was his last year, and based on how he looked on the field on Wednesday, it's looking like it's his spot to lose.
The running back roster battle is already heating up well before Patriots training camp starts
Although practice was far from a full-on showing for the team, several players still caught reporters' attention with their performance, with Larison among them.
Based on all the updates, the running back is the frontrunner for the RB3 job already, quickly reclaiming his role from last summer. And if he can pick up where he left off, there's no reason to believe he can't solidify that spot as his own early on in training camp.
Of course, there is a lot of competition at the position, especially with Jam Miller ready to explode on the scene with a chip on his shoulder. Larison will have to step up his game to ensure the spotlight remains on him, proving that his injury will not set him back whatsoever.
He could become an integral part of the offensive game plan moving forward, even if he is used in a more limited capacity. It's clear that Josh McDaniels will utilize different parts of his playbook this year, with a fullback on the roster again and more double-tight-end sets, so exploring new plays with a full running back room is expected.
We'll have to see if Larison can take advantage of the moment and become the latest UDFA to hold down a spot on the Patriots' roster. By the early looks of it, he's already well on his way.
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