The Patriots' offense is inevitably going to be a focus of the 2026 season for several reasons, with the addition of A.J. Brown probably being the most exciting. Seeing the connection between the receiver and Drake Maye has been a highlight of the past two months, and that will only grow once the regular season begins.
Beyond the receiving corps is another impressive group: the running backs. With Rhamondre Stevenson leading the way and TreVeyon Henderson right behind him, the starting roles have long been set.
But the rest of the depth chart has appeared murky at best, with two mostly unknown players battling it out for the primary backup spot.
Going into the offseason, there was a sense that Lan Larison would be the frontrunner after how impressive he looked one year ago. He looked primed and ready to boost the backfield until he suffered a season-ending injury that forced him to miss his rookie year.
He's seemingly picked up where he left off and has consistently been considered the top candidate to join Henderson and Stevenson. That is, until Jam Miller, a seventh-round draft pick this year, had an explosive showing against the Colts on Thursday night, and that might have been enough to secure his roster spot already.
Jam Miller was sneaky good against the Colts and might have leapfrogged his competition on the depth chart
With the starters held out of the game, it was up to those competing for a spot on the team to take advantage of their opportunity and impress with their performance.
Fortunately for a player like Miller, he did just that and stole the spotlight from Larison, who many have predicted would be the RB3 this fall.
But based on how much the rookie was used out of the backfield, leading the team with 14 carries for 55 yards compared to Larison's seven carries for 1 yard, it seems like the Patriots sent a message with their decision.
Part of that might have to do with how much better Larison is in the passing game, since he recorded a team-high six receptions for 38 yards, whereas Miller was targeted only once as a receiver and didn't make the catch.
That could certainly become something that favors Larison in the long run, unless Miller continues to show he can be the more explosive running back option. If anything, Larison could become a face of special teams if the team believes he's a solid runner but not able to beat out Miller.
Regardless, Miller has been far more impressive than a typical seventh-rounder is expected to be, and surely, nobody anticipated he had a chance to earn a prominent role in the offense for this year's team.
He's managed to keep his hot streak going, and maintaining that over the next few weeks will be crucial in ensuring he locks up a spot on the roster rather than getting moved to the practice squad.
He has the added bonus of having more experience on special teams, and given the uncertainty around who their kick and punt returners will be, it's another opportunity for Miller to steal a spot on the roster.
No matter what, he's already showing he can become a secret weapon on this roster in one way or another. It'll be up to him to keep it going for the rest of the offseason, and at this point, it might be his job to lose.
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