The best Patriots training camp competition: receivers vs. cornerbacks

Before picking apart another New England Patriots 53-man roster projection, here’s a piece of advice:

Slow. Down.

Training camp is just underway. A lot can change between now and the final roster cuts on August 27. Enjoy the process. That means keeping up with the daily updates. If you can, attend training camp and watch the action in person. There’s nothing like it.

The signal callers will probably receive the most attention. Drake Maye was the third overall selection and is the future face of the Patriots. New England fans haven’t seen a quarterback as talented as Maye since Drew Bledsoe (Note: I said talented. There is a huge difference between talent and being the G.O.A.T.). We want to see if he can wrestle away the starting job from Jacoby Brissett.

While the veteran tries to fend off the young gun in the most important competition on the team, the other end of their passes will feature the best battle.

The competition between the Patriots cornerbacks and receivers will be the most entertaining competition on the field

While some Patriots fans want New England to trade for 49ers’ WR Brandon Aiyuk, the present company would like to make their case that the receiver room doesn’t need him. DeMario Douglas went from sixth-round selection to the most productive receiver on the team last year. JuJu Smith-Schuster wants to prove he can still be productive now that he’s fully healthy.

Most intriguing is a pair of rookies out to silence the chatter of the Patriots lacking a number-one receiver. Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker don’t have monstrous attributes, nor did they melt the Lucas Oil Field turf when they ran the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine. But they come to New England following very productive college careers and are hungry to prove the doubters wrong.

On the other side of the field, some athletes intend to make some noise of their own. While the receivers struggled to produce last season, the cornerbacks were part of a dominant defense that kept the Patriots in most games.

Christian Gonzalez is back and fully recovered from a shoulder injury. In his rookie year, Gonzalez started from day one for stubborn Bill Belichick and played like the shutdown corner the Patriots had been looking for since J.C. Jackson. Gonzalez was voted NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for last September. Expect Gonzo to build on his dominant rookie year.

The Patriots lost Jones but kept Jonathan and Marcus. Ideally, Jonathan will return to the slot, where his matchups will be more favorable. Marcus, an explosive returner, should have an expanded role on defense this season.

If you’re wondering who starts opposite of Gonzalez, the favorite should be Alex Austin. He was unwanted by the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. However, Belichick turned Austin into a starter when injuries hit the secondary hard. Austin is still being disrespected, but he should change some minds after the pads come on.

Coaches like to say iron sharpens iron. If that’s the case, the receivers and corners will become katanas at their positions by the start of the season.

And there are more weapons. Kendrick Bourne was on pace for a career year before tearing his ACL in October, cutting his season short. K.J. Osborne is a solid free agent addition. Second-year receivers Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte might be battling for the last seat in the WR room.

On the other sideline, Marco Wilson, another discarded Patriots treasure, wants a bigger piece of the action. Shaun Wade also keeps pushing for a consistent role alongside his fellow CBs.

We know the secondary has the potential to be elite, starting with the corners. But don’t sleep on the receivers. The Patriots offense was dominant for two decades because Tom Brady made the receivers better. Then, the inverse can be true. Having Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe under center made the receivers look bad.

Having Brissett and, eventually, Maye run the offense will make the receivers dramatically more productive than last year.

And practicing against the elite corners will make the receivers even better. You don’t wanna miss this.

More Patriots news and analysis: