The New England Patriots will officially open training camp on Wednesday, marking the beginning of their journey through the 2022-23 season.
NFL training camps present the opportunity for the football world to get a first glimpse at each team in full for the very first time. As the days grow closer, the time has come for writers and analysts alike to make their training camp predictions. ESPN’s Mike Reiss previewed Patriots training camp on Sunday, making a prediction for this year’s standout performer:
Rookie Jack Jones will be one of the standout performers in training camp, making a charge for a starting spot, as his sticky coverage and ball skills will show up with multiple interceptions. By the end of camp, no player will have more interceptions than Jones.
Jones was the first of three fourth-round selections for the Patriots in April, being selected No. 121 overall out of Arizona State. The 24-year-old was a standout performer during minicamp, making turnover-worthy plays and standing out among the rest of his rookie classmates.
That performance seemingly has Reiss excited about the prospects of the rookie moving forward, where he’ll have an opportunity play with and learn from his veteran teammates in the secondary.
After moving on from Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson in 2021, the Patriots new cornerback group of Jones, Malcolm Butler, Jonathan Jones, Jalen Mills, Myles Bryant, Terrance Mitchell, Joejuan Williams, Shaun Wade and fellow rookie Marcus Jones will have big shoes to fill. Having Jack Jones surge to the top of the depth chart and provide a playmakers mentality to the position should go a long way in helping the Patriots make up for those two monumental losses.
