3 frontrunners to have a big year-two leap on the Patriots in 2023

Sam Roberts

After an underwhelming rookie season, Sam Roberts brought good attention to himself with some standout performances during the preseason this summer.

Upon his initial drafting, there was a little excitement about what the sixth-rounder would bring to the Patriots. But what really dominated headlines was his social media activity, as it revealed Roberts grew up a Patriots fan and tweeted his support for them against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship in 2018.

Like most rookies signed by New England, we didn't see Roberts much on the field during his rookie season. He played in just five games and totaled two combined tackles on the year.

However, he made a name for himself with his preseason performance against the Packers last month, where he was credited with five tackles, two run stops, and one quarterback hurry. His play and his potential made a good enough impression on Bill Belichick to keep him on the 53-man roster.

Like other young and upcoming players on the roster, Roberts has all the tools to become an integral part of the defensive line, particularly in stopping the run. As a weaker part of the unit overall, if he can hone in on the skills he has already showcased and fine-tune them with the help of defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, he may become a real diamond in the rough from the 2022 draft class.

It won't be an easy feat, with so much talent around him on the defense especially, but Roberts' breakout performance in Green Bay came at the right time and should translate into the regular season.