5 under the radar New England Patriots players for the 2023 season

Brenden Schooler

With Matthew Slater's retirement now clearly on the horizon, the development of Brenden Schooler will become all the more important this season. And luckily, he has the potential to become a pillar of the special teams unit in due time.

Schooler quickly became an integral part of the third unit during his rookie season, learning from the GOAT and looking like another win for Belichick in his consistent success signing UDFAs.

He was one of the better parts of a struggling special teams last season, where he recorded 14 tackles (which was the highest among all rookies in 2022), just six missed tackles, 11 solo takedowns, a punt recovery, and two fumble recoveries.

Because so much emphasis this offseason has been on getting special teams back to being the most reliable part of the team, Schooler's physicality and speed will be utilized in all aspects of the kicking, punting, and field goal units.

With another impressive outing, the departure of Slater will feel a little less upsetting, knowing that Schooler is waiting in the wings to take over for his mentor.