With the offseason coming to a close and the preseason period starting to heat up, reports about just about anything might surface: X was out of shape, Y might get traded, and Z looks like a different player compared to last season.
We're a few months away from roster cutdowns and the final 53, but it's always interesting to see what the roster could shake out to be based on early indications and news.
Way-too-early 53-man roster prediction for the Patriots 2025 season
Quarterbacks (2): Drake Maye, Josh Dobbs
Drake Maye is the clear starter in week one this season, unlike last year. Dobbs was brought in to serve as a veteran backup and leader, but he has also shown some ability as a spot starter at times. I'm afraid UDFA addition Ben Wooldridge doesn't have much of a chance here.
Running Backs (4): Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Antonio Gibson, Lan Larison
The Patriots added Henderson in the second round through the draft, while Stevenson and Gibson each have multiple years left on their deals. Lan Larison is one of the early favorites among UDFAs to make the team, which doesn't seem unreasonable. Keeping four running backs isn't atypical, and there isn't a fourth player that fits the mold right now.
Tight Ends (2): Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper
Henry and Hooper were the top four in receiving yards on the team last year, and held it down to make the tight end group a reasonably productive one, not just by the team's standards, but in the broader NFL, too. The Patriots were the only team with two tight ends in the top 25 in receiving yards at the position.
Jaheim Bell is an interesting project, but I'd expect the team to go light on tight ends to open the season. Should Bell or another name emerge from the practice squad, they could make an addition.
Wide Receivers (6): Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Pop Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams
Diggs, Hollins, and Williams are all new and higher-profile additions, and therefore locks. Boutte and Douglas led the room in yards last season, so I'd expect them to stick around. Bourne wasn't all that productive last season, but he had his best career season under Josh McDaniels in 2021, so I'd expect him to vouch for Bourne to get another chance.
Vrabel and company have no loyalties to Ja'Lynn Polk or Javon Baker, so I'd expect the pair to go. Efton Chism III has received a lot of early hype, but until we see it on the field in preseason, I won't buy it - we've heard the same hype before with Jeff Thomas back in 2020.
Offensive Tackle (4): Morgan Moses, Will Campbell, Vederian Lowe, Caeden Wallace
Campbell and Moses will start at left and right tackle, respectively, and while Lowe wasn't great last year, he's a capable swing tackle. The team invested a third-round pick in Wallace, but he hardly saw the field last season due to injury. Perhaps with some time to refine his craft, he could take over for Moses at right tackle down the line.
Interior Offensive Line (6): Mike Onwenu, Cole Strange, Layden Robinson, Tyrese Robinson, Garrett Bradbury, Jared Wilson
Onwenu and Strange each have some injury history, so covering their bases with a pair of backup guards is smart through the pair of Robinsons. Layden struggled last season but had a successful college career. Despite a small sample size, Tyrese ranked first among all guards in PFF pass blocking grade last season across his 61 snaps. He didn't allow a sack or penalty either. The 25-year-old could outdo the competition and snag a roster spot if he can continue that play.
Interior Defensive Line (6): Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Keion White, Jeremiah Pharms, Khyiris Tonga, Joshua Farmer
One of the best units on the team, the IDL features some big names, and, as no surprise, I expect them to stick around. Williams-Barmore-White is a lethal front three, while Pharms and Farmer offer additional pass rush. Tonga is unique in that he is a more traditional nose tackle, so he'll have a more niche but essential role. Jaquelin Roy is a practice squad candidate who has recorded two sacks in six games during the 2024 season.
Edge Defenders (4): Harold Landry, Anfernee Jennings, K'Lavon Chaisson, Bradyn Swinson
Landry is an addition who spent time with Vrabel during his Tennessee days, and the team added a pair of players who called LSU home in Chaisson and Swinson through free agency and the draft. Jennings is a fierce edge setter but doesn't offer much as a pure pass rusher. Edge could certainly be a place the team makes an addition to before the start of the season.
Linebackers (5): Robert Spillane, Jahlani Tavai, Christian Elliss, Marte Mapu, Jack Gibbens
Spillane is a locked-in starter, while Elliss and Tavai will battle for the second full-time role. Mapu has safety flexibility, but a Twitter/X user mentioned that Vrabel grouped him in with the linebackers. Given his six-foot-three, 230-pound frame, that's not ridiculous at all. Gibbens worked with Vrabel in Tennessee. Monty Rice misses out, but could be a player who surprises people by regaining his form as a Georgia Bulldog.
Cornerbacks (5): Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Alex Austin, Miles Battle
Gonzalez and Davis have an argument to be the top CB duo in the league, and Marcus Jones is a sound slot option. The position lacks depth beyond Austin, but Battle has had a strong Week 18 performance, which he could parlay into the offseason. Safety Craig Woodson also has slot flexibility. It wouldn't hurt to add a veteran free agent, but all in all, the position is in a good spot.
Safeties (5): Jabrill Peppers, Kyle Dugger, Jaylinn Hawkins, Dell Pettus, Craig Woodson
Peppers and Dugger are very stylistically similar, and Hawkins also plays in the box more naturally despite playing deeper last season. Pettus and Woodson both have some versatility to play in the slot and over the top, making them useful young pieces.
The surprise cut comes from Marcus Epps, who has had some decent play with the Eagles and Raiders but is coming off a torn ACL. The team should focus on acquiring better coverage players at the position in future years, but this group is very deep.
Special Teams (4): Andres Borregales, Bryce Baringer, Julian Ashby, Brenden Schooler
The team added Borregales and Ashby through the draft, and Brenden Schooler is one of the league's top special-teams players. Despite a 4-13 record in 2024, Jeremy Springer's unit was good enough that Vrabel kept him on board.
Notable practice squad candidates could include the hyped-up Efton Chism III, 2025 sixth-round OT Marcus Bryant, special teamer and cornerback Marcellas Dial, and Mr. Irrelevant Kobee Minor. It's too early to tell for sure which players will emerge as the top contenders for the 53 spots on the 2025 roster, but it will be interesting to watch how the next few months unfold.