NFL rosters are comprised of several levels of players entering summer camp, including the New England Patriots. There are the first-tier stars like Drake Maye, A.J. Brown, Christian Gonzalez, and Milton Williams, and a long list of others after them. The sum of the parts equals the whole, and they all count.
The lowest rung on the ladder is the players on the fringe, fighting to make the team's 53-man roster or, after the final cut-down day on August 30, the practice squad.
One such end-of-the-roster type, safety John Saunders, has been singled out by Pats Pulpit's Brian Hines as a preseason "winner" in the Patriots' game against the Eagles. That can't be bad news for the second-year player.
Surprise additions out of the blue are no strangers to the Patriots, who've made it a terrific habit over the years of finding stars, not only from undrafted free agents, but also from other teams' roster cuts.
Saunders, first signed by the team last November, is making his mark on the 2026 preseason and is vying for one of those final roster spots. From what we've seen over the last two weeks, he's making an easy case to be on the field with the Patriots this fall.
John Saunders Jr. is making a very strong case for the Patriots to keep him around in 2026
Safety Saunders was first signed by division rival Miami before he was picked up by the Patriots late in 2025. The big 6'2", 211-pound safety is making the best of his opportunity and impressing people, even outside of the organization.
Pat's Pulpits' Hines likes what he's seen from the 24-year-old.
"As for Saunders, the safety continued his strong summer. Saunders was on scene to shut down several of Philadelphia’s play-action bootleg concepts and recorded a pass breakup in coverage on second-round rookie tight end Eli Stowers. Saunders' play style fits nicely into this defense, and the 24-year-old is seriously pushing for a roster spot."
Closing down bootlegs and breaking up passes are big plays that can determine game outcomes. No NFL team ever has too many players whose forte is making plays that might win them a game or more. Saunders seems to fit that mold like a glove at safety.
The Patriots signed All-Pro free safety Kevin Byard III to boost their big-play element in the interception department. Saunders, though, has the versatility to be ready to provide cover at multiple positions in the defensive backfield, as SI.com's Mike D'Abate pointed out last season.
"New England previously hosted him for a pre-draft visit, coveting his ability to play multiple roles — a key tenet of the new defensive scheme under head coach Mike Vrabel ... and interim defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr. The rookie defensive back has experience playing free safety, strong safety, in the slot and at cornerback."
John Saunders' emergence as a solid option in the defensive backfield, especially at safety, is welcome news to the Patriots. They allowed Jaylinn Hawkins, who led the team in 2025 interceptions with four, to leave in free agency.
While they signed Byard to step right into his spot, having versatile depth like Saunders showing he belongs, who showed, couldn't have worked out any better for Mike Vrabel's defense.
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