It took one preseason game for unknown Patriots vet to steal a spot on the roster

The first preseason game of the season is never one that you can walk away with a definitive answer for most of the toughest roster battles of the offseason. However, some players show up when the lights are brightest, while others fall behind.

That's true with the Patriots, despite managing to end the game in a tie with the Colts on Thursday night, particularly when looking at the competition for the first backup cornerback behind Carlton Davis and Christian Gonzalez.

Because no starters took the field, all the focus was on those who still need to earn a spot on this year's roster. For a player like cornerback Kindle Vildor, it was a major opportunity to build upon the impressive summer he's had and leapfrog his competition down the stretch.

That's exactly what he did this week by snagging an interception from Anthony Richardson in the first quarter, setting up what would be a disastrous night for Colts quarterbacks.

Although he didn't do much else during the limited action he saw, Vildor might have done enough already to claim the CB3 role, and it will be his position to lose the rest of the summer.

Kindle Vildor has quickly become a standout for the Patriots' crowded secondary

Perhaps the most overlooked roster battle on the team, the cornerbacks have had an impressive summer, and Vildor has stood out on multiple occasions in practice. He's now translated that to game day and has the chance to solidify his spot further by stringing together more practices that get his coaches talking.

There is some tough competition he will need to overtake, however, like rookie Karon Prunty, who also had some good moments in this week's game. Similar to Vildor, he's been heavily discussed during training camp, so it would be fair to say he's coming for that CB3 spot, too.

Luckily for Vildor, he has experience on his side, as he enters his seventh NFL season and his fifth team. He might not have had the flashiest career thus far, but all that matters is what he can do for the Patriots when he's called upon, and so far, he's been good.

Given the uncertainty around some of the other cornerbacks on the current roster, particularly Gonzalez, who Mike Vrabel said was "physically unable" to play in Thursday's game, Vildor might have even more opportunities to impress over the next few weeks.

It would be a massive win for the Patriots to find more reliable depth at the position than they've had in recent years, especially after not re-signing Alex Austin and only bringing in Vildor in free agency.

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