Fans still have a full month of summer vacation left on their calendars, but for New England Patriots players and the media, fall might as well begin Wednesday.
Patriots veteran players report to Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, and training camp practices begin Thursday. Rookies were due at Gillette on Monday. Let’s check in to see where the Patriots’ 10 draft picks stand as practice is on the horizon.
WR N’KEAL HARRY
The Patriots first-round pick will have every opportunity to earn a starting role this summer with a wide-open receiver corps around him. Really, the only receiver on the Patriots roster ensured a starting role is Julian Edelman, who will sit out the beginning of camp with a thumb injury.
With Edelman out, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Harry earn plenty of first-team reps alongside Phillip Dorsett and Maurice Harris. Those three players will be competing with Braxton Berrios, Ryan Davis, Dontrelle Inman, Jakobi Meyers, Gunner Olszewski and Damoun Patterson for top reps early in camp while Demaryius Thomas recovers from a torn Achilles and Josh Gordon remains on the suspended list.
The Patriots need two more receivers to emerge as starters behind Edelman. Harry has as good of a shot as anyone to take on one of those roles in Week 1.
DB JOEJUAN WILLIAMS
Williams has much more competition for a starting role than Harry. Stephon Gilmore is the Patriots’ best defender and is entrenched in the No. 1 cornerback role. JC Jackson and Jason McCourty will battle it out for the No. 2 position this summer. McCourty, Duke Dawson, Keion Crossen and Jonathan Jones are in competition for the Patriots’ top nickel defensive back role.
It’s unlikely Williams will leapfrog Jackson or McCourty for a starting role. It’s much more plausible the second-round pick starts his career in a specialized role opposite bigger receivers and more athletic tight ends in certain sub-packages.
DE CHASE WINOVICH
It’s difficult to assess how the Patriots’ defensive front will look this season with last season’s de facto defensive coordinator Brian Flores now head coach of the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots also like to trot out hybrid fronts on early downs, so it’s not as simple as slotting players into a 4-3 or 3-4.
New England likes running a base nickel, so it needs to assemble six total defensive linemen and linebackers on early downs. The most likely starters are defensive end Michael Bennett, defensive tackles Lawrence Guy and Mike Pennel and linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy. That leaves one more spot up for competition. The favorites are Winovich, defensive ends John Simon and Deatrich Wise, and linebackers Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jamie Collins.
Call it a hunch, but we like Collins the most out of that group based on what he did in spring practices. But Winovich, a third-round pick, has a shot at a big role in 2019, even if that has to start on third downs as a situational pass rusher.
RB DAMIEN HARRIS
Starting running back Sony Michel was declared physically unable to perform Sunday. He still could be taken off the PUP list before the Patriots begin practicing Thursday.
If not, Harris will see a ton of reps early this summer. Michel’s injury isn’t considered serious, but he has a history of knee maladies. If he misses time this season, then Harris and Rex Burkhead (who’s injury-prone himself) would compete for early-down reps.
Harris isn’t guaranteed carries this season, but it’s a smart bet the third-rounder will see time in the Patriots’ offense.
OT YODNY CAJUSTE
Cajuste was placed on the non-football injury list Sunday with a lingering quad injury sustained during the pre-draft process.
Cajuste has almost no competition for the Patriots’ No. 3 offensive tackle role behind projected starters Isaiah Wynn and Marcus Cannon. In fact, starting left guard Joe Thuney was playing left tackle during spring practices while Cajuste and Wynn were sitting out.
Cajuste must only compete with Cole Croston, who’s on the PUP list, Cedrick Lang, Dan Skipper and Tyree St. Louis for the backup role. Obviously, Cajuste must get healthy, but the Patriots liked him enough to invest a third-round pick. Consider him a favorite for a gameday active roster spot as long as that quad heals soon.
OL HJALTE FROHOLDT
Froholdt, a Denmark native and fourth-round pick, has more competition for one of those gameday spots behind interior offensive line starters Thuney, David Andrews and Shaq Mason. Ted Karras, Brian Schwenke and James Ferentz all have extensive playing experience, unlike Croston, Lang, Skipper and St. Louis.
He’ll make the team, but Froholdt would need plenty of injuries to get on the field in 2019.
QB JARRETT STIDHAM
We know he’s not in the top spot. That’s pretty well taken by Tom Brady. Stidham is most likely to spend his rookie season as the Patriots’ third-string quarterback, though there is a chance — albeit a small one — he could usurp Brian Hoyer for the backup spot.
Danny Elting, a 2018 seventh-round pick, doesn’t have much of a chance at passing Stidham, a 2019 fourth-rounder, this summer.
DL BYRON COWART
We’re not really sure where Cowart fits into the Patriots’ defense. So, that’s our first dilemma. The fifth-round pick is an undersized interior defensive lineman at 6-foot-3, 298 pounds. Those players typically are pass rushers in the Patriots’ defense, but Cowart was much better against the run in college at Maryland. He could be used as a hybrid defensive end/tackle on early downs playing as either a three-technique or five-technique lineman.
He’ll have to compete for a roster spot with Danny Shelton.
P JAKE BAILEY
You know it’s Patriots training camp when you have a full-fledged punter battle to look forward to. Bailey will square off against Ryan Allen this summer. As a fifth-round pick, Bailey might even have the edge over Allen, who signed a one-year contract this offseason.
CB KEN WEBSTER
For all the reasons we listed under Williams, Webster has little chance of making the Patriots’ 53-man roster.
He’s a speed demon, so he would really have to shine on special teams to have a shot at playing time in 2019.
The Patriots are really good at finding late-round and undrafted cornerbacks, but Webster has so much competition.
UNDRAFTED ROOKIES
We won’t go through all 10 Patriots undrafted rookies, but we will mention Meyers, Davis, Olszewski, St. Louis and tight end Andrew Beck as players who have a decent shot at cracking the 53-man roster based on the competition at their positions.
