There’s a long way to go this summer, but a group of Patriots players already have made strong offseason impressions on New England coaches and personnel.
In a column published Monday morning, Jeff Howe of The Athletic identified 10 players, including rookie offensive lineman Cole Strange, who’ve shown well during workouts and practices. The list also includes veteran cornerback Malcolm Butler, who returned to the Patriots in late March after spending a year away from football.
From Howe’s column:
Rookie left guard Cole Strange is already impressing the team, and he continues to draw comparisons to former Pats left guard Joe Thuney.
Some more players who have impressed those around Gillette this spring: running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris, wide receivers DeVante Parker, Bourne, Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and Ty Montgomery, linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley and the top wave of defensive backs, notably Malcolm Butler.
While the Patriots’ media-accessible OTAs practices weren’t especially eventful, they did provide extended looks at some of the players listed by Howe, including Parker. The veteran receiver, acquired via offseason trade, has looked like New England’s top wideout during practices.
Action should ramp up this week with mandatory minicamp, which begins Tuesday and runs through Thursday. Players who skipped voluntary OTAs, such as Matthew Judon, Isaiah Wynn and N’Keal Harry, are expected to report to Gillette Stadium for what figures to be a busy week.
