Preseason preview: top-5 Patriots rookie spotlights

For those unable to get down to Foxborough for training camp so far, Thursday will be their first look at the 2023 New England Patriots. After a disappointing 2022 season highlighted by QB Mac Jones regressing instead of making a second-year leap, Patriot Nation is focused on finding out if he is a franchise quarterback.

We won’t get that answer after one preseason game. There’s a good chance Jones barely plays in the preseason opener, if at all. With the offensive line pieced together with rookies and inexperienced players, there’s a chance head coach Bill Belichick is extra cautious with most of his veterans.

Belichick is probably more interested in seeing the rookies play. He could do all he can to prepare them to play during practice, but nothing replicates actual game action against an opposing team.

On Thursday, we begin to learn if the hype surrounding this year’s New England Patriots rookie class is true

The Patriots need a big contribution from their 2023 NFL Draft class this season. The offense needs more juice. Some people don’t think Belichick did enough to upgrade Jones’ weapons. A fierce pass rush compensated for a secondary that struggled at times on the outside. Special teams cost New England a couple of wins.

It won’t be solely on the rookies’ shoulders to fix New England’s problems, but they will have opportunities to make big contributions.

Some have played with the starters during camp. Others have taken advantage of camp injuries to make an impression. More know they have to show versatility to make their case for making the roster.

What they’ve done through the first two weeks of camp matters, but game performance is the true measuring stick. The Patriots made eleven selections, but a handful of them will have more attention on them because they have higher expectations:

CB Christian Gonzalez

The first round of the NFL Draft couldn’t have gone better for the New England Patriots. Christian Gonzalez falling to 17 wasn’t their dream scenario because it was far beyond what the Patriots could have dreamed of. Gonzalez was arguably the best corner in the draft, and he ended up being the third corner selected.

Gonzalez is the number one corner the Patriots had missed since J.C. Jackson and has the potential to become a shutdown corner, which New England hasn’t had since Stephon Gilmore, who the Patriots allegedly wanted back. Gonzalez has the size, speed, and quickness to cover all types of receivers. With the talent at receiver in the AFC East, a player like Gonzalez is absolutely necessary.

Since day one of training camp, Gonzalez has played with the first-team defense. There is no doubt what the Patriots expect from the former Oregon Duck. He’s been having a typical rookie camp with some impressive wins and some losses to learn from. Gonzalez vs. DeVante Parker apparently has been a very entertaining competition.

Which is good for Gonzalez as it prepares him for Thursday night. Whether the Houston Texans play their starters or not, they have a talented and versatile receiving corps that should challenge Gonzalez. It will be a great baptism by fire.

Ideally, Gonzalez plays a majority of the game. He’s a rookie and needs the reps. It will be a great test of his coverage abilities and a chance to show he’s a better tackler than what his scouting report said.

Rookie WRs

The New England Patriots ignored all the chatter to draft a receiver early or sign/trade for whoever veteran receiver that allegedly was available. Instead, they waited until the sixth round to select Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas. That didn’t impress anybody.

But since the start of camp, there may not be a rookie with more mentions than Douglas. The compact receiver known as Pop has been living up to his nickname. It seems daily; he is responsible for a highlight or two. He’s even getting some reps with the first-team offense.

Boutte, the more heralded receiver of the duo, came to New England as a highly talented prospect with a disappointing college career. Boutte started slowly but is coming on strong of late.

How good they could be is the big question. The Patriots let slot receiver Jakobi Meyers leave as a free agent. On paper, JuJu Smith-Schuster is an upgrade, but he may not be a long-term solution. And after an off-season of Patriots Nation wanting a big-name receiver, Boutte and Douglas lack star power.

Recently someone in the media described the Patriots receivers as “stink, stank, stunk.” If Boutte lives up to his potential, he’s a future number-one receiver. And Douglas would be way more explosive than Meyers. Add New England’s history of slot receivers during the dynasty eras, and the bar is set very high for Douglas.

At the very least, Boutte and Douglas can add some much-needed explosiveness to the offense. If they can do that, they will make a strong case for making the roster while taking another receiver’s job.

LB/S Marte Mapu

After skipping selecting a linebacker in the 2022 Draft and the retirement of safety Devin McCourty, Belichick found a way to replace both for the New England Patriots with one player: Marte Mapu.

OK, that’s a bit of a stretch. But Mapu is stretching the definition of each position.

On draft night, Mapu was a 6'3", 217-pound super-sized strong safety out of Sacramento State. Fast forward to now, and Mapu is up to 230 pounds and is lining up at safety and linebacker during training camp. And according to reports and his teammates, Mapu seemingly made a seamless transition.

This sounds like it has to be seen to be believed. Mapu can be a defensive wild card for Belichick, making it easier to switch between run and pass defense with minimal substitutions.

Mapu will also allow Belichick to disguise defensive play calls better, keeping offenses guessing. We remember Belichick is a massive fan of Derwin James. Now he has one of his own.

Mapu has been in a red non-contact jersey during camp as he recovers from a pectoral injury. It’s unlikely we’ll see Mapu play, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of anticipation to see this freak athlete on the field for a game.

The havoc Mapu could cause, especially when on the field with Kyle Dugger, has to be seen to believe. It probably won’t be this Thursday, but Mapu’s debut can’t come soon enough to witness what Mapu could do in Belichick’s hands.

DL Keion White

How often is a second-round selection the fourth most exciting rookie in a team’s class? It’s not a slight towards Keion White. The New England Patriots already have a solid defensive line. But if he’s as good as his selection, White could be a force to deal with.

One way to think of White is he’s like Deatrich Wise Jr., but more athletic. Wise went from a draft curiosity into a Belichick favorite. So instead of cloning a favorite player, Belichick drafted an improved version.

Like Wise, White has the ability to play inside or outside on odd or even fronts. At 6-5 290 pounds, he obviously has the strength to hold up at the point of attack or bully blockers into the backfield. What separates White from Wise is the former Yellow Jacket has better speed and quickness. This helps White to turn the corner on the outside without being as power dependent and close in on the QB after beating the blocker(s). And White has an excellent motor, so he doesn’t quit until the play is over.

White is coming on strong during camp. Some reporters recently had him with three pressures and two would-be sacks in 11-on-11s. With Matthew Judon limited during camp, White is getting some valuable extra reps in Judon’s absence.

Wise played 73 percent of the defensive snaps last season. That was far and away the highest percentage for a Patriots defensive lineman. If White proves he’s ready to play, he can join the rotation, and Belichick could reduce Wise’s wear and tear. But it will also be fun seeing the pair on the field together.

K Chad Ryland and P Bryce Baringer

It’s not the first time Belichick drafted a kicker or a punter, but never before in the same draft. The New England Patriots don’t draft either position often, but they had some success with doing so. If Chad Ryland and Bryce Baringer have the career of some of their predecessors, then the Patriots should be thrilled to have them.

Forget about Justin Rohrwasser. Over the years, Belichick drafted punter Jake Bailey and kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Bailey has a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, while Gostkowski became the Patriots' all-time leader in career points and had four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections.

New England had to do something about their special teams, particularly with their kicking and punting. At both positions, the Patriots were really lacking in power. That shouldn’t be a problem for Ryland and Baringer.

Starting with Baringer, his punt average in his final season at Michigan State was 49 yards. That would be good enough for fourth in the NFL last year after Jake Bailey was near the bottom in gross and net average.

Ryland has a history of connecting from deep, including a pair of 50-yarders against Michigan in Ann Arbor. Ryland has room for improvement with his accuracy, but he’s worth developing if he has the leg to kick 50-yarders in Gillette Stadium when the winter winds are swirling.

According to reports, Ryland and Baringer appear to be winning their competitions. Expect them to be tested on Thursday. A solid showing by both of them will go a long way towards securing their jobs and beginning their journey of making some Patriots history of their own.