Heading into training camp, the New England Patriots don’t look like a team with a lot of open-ended starting jobs. Most of the lineup is already mapped out, and that stability is a big reason they reached Super Bowl LX last year.
The offensive line stayed relatively healthy, Drake Maye took every snap under center, and the defense rolled with most of its starters week after week. If New England is going to chase another successful season in 2026, that kind of continuity has to hold.
At quarterback, there’s no real mystery. Barring injury, Maye isn’t losing the job to Tommy DeVito or Behren Morton. The MVP runner-up has already looked sharp to open spring practices, and it’s tough to picture DeVito or the rookie Morton leading the offense to winning results right now.
The backfield is settled at the top, too. Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson are set to handle the bulk of the work, while the real summer competition is for the RB3 and RB4 spots. Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison, Jam Miller and Myles Montgomery are the names fighting for those backup roles.
Receiver is another spot where the pecking order is mostly clear. A.J.
Brown, Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte (if he doesn't get traded) and Kyle Williams are all expected to play major roles in the passing game. The slot job, though, is still up for grabs between DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III, and Douglas has the edge.
Tight end took a hit when Julian Hill suffered a season-ending injury earlier this spring. That could cut down on New England’s two-tight-end looks, but Hunter Henry is still the veteran anchor in his sixth season with the team. Eli Raridon is in line to work into the TE2 role as a rookie.
Up front, the starting five already looks close to set. The Patriots signed Alijah Vera-Tucker in free agency and moved Jared Wilson inside to center.
Will Campbell is at left tackle, Mike Onwenu at right guard and Morgan Moses at right tackle. First-round tackle Caleb Lomu has taken reps at both tackle and guard this spring, so there’s at least a chance he pushes into the picture if he has a strong summer.
On the defensive line, New England lost Khyiris Tonga in free agency after he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, but the replacement plan didn’t require much drama. Cory Durden is now the starting nose tackle next to Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, giving the Patriots a trio that should be productive, especially if the pass rush from the edge doesn’t show up consistently.
Edge rusher is the one spot that still feels unsettled. The Patriots traded up for Gabe Jacas in the second round and are also bringing back Harold Landry, but neither was present at mandatory minicamp.
Jacas remains unsigned, while Landry is working back from an ankle injury. Dre’Mont Jones is more of a run stopper off the edge, but he’s expected to get the nod alongside one of the second-year players who have been trending up this spring, Bradyn Swinson or Elijah Ponder.
At linebacker, the names have changed but the top two have not. Jahlani Tavai, Jack Gibbens and Marte Mapu are gone, yet Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss remain the starting pair.
The issue now is depth. Chad Muma and rookie Namdi Obiazor will need to make their mark in whatever role they get, even if cracking the starting lineup is a long shot.
The cornerback group might be the most impressive part of the defense. Christian Gonzalez is still a superstar, Carlton Davis brings veteran ball skills, and Marcus Jones gives New England an elite slot defender who can take a punt to the house. That’s a room with no obvious concerns.
Safety looks strong as well. Craig Woodson made his mark last year alongside Jaylinn Hawkins, and with Hawkins now gone to the Baltimore Ravens, Kevin Byard steps in after signing with the Patriots. His knack for tracking the ball and making interceptions should fit well with a secondary that didn’t force many turnovers a season ago.
Special teams, meanwhile, appears locked in. Andy Borregales, Bryce Baringer and Julian Ashby are the kicker, punter and long snapper, and there doesn’t seem to be much reason to disturb that group. The Patriots could always bring in a tryout player during camp, but the current trio worked well last year and gives them the consistency they want in year two.
So while edge rusher stands out as the one area with real movement still possible, the bigger picture is pretty clear: New England is in good shape roster-wise. If the team stays healthy again this season, there’s a path to another AFC East title and another postseason run. In the end, it all comes back to how the starters perform.
In Other News...
Patriots Have A Chance To Fix Their Biggest Defensive Question Fast
As the Patriots sort through their roster before training camp, the biggest defensive question remains the same one that has hovered over the group for much of the offseason: where the pass rush is going to come from. There are reasons for concern all over the depth chart, from DreMont Jones to Harold Landrys rehab, while KLavon Chaisson is gone and Gabe Jacas still remains unsigned, leaving New England with more uncertainty than answers on the edge.
One possible fix has surfaced in the trade market, where a veteran pass rusher who is reportedly looking to move on from Arizona has been floated as a fit for New England. The idea is simple enough for a team trying to get ahead of a problem fast, especially if the price lands around a future third-round pick, but for now it remains exactly that - a proposal, not a deal, with the Patriots still weighing whether to solve the issue through a trade or keep their options open elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Mac Jones Just Confirmed Patriots Fans Were Right About 2022 Chaos
Mac Jones has added a new layer to the story of how the Patriots offense unraveled after Josh McDaniels left following his rookie season. What looked from the outside like a simple coordinator change quickly turned into a much messier setup, with Bill Belichick stepping into the offensive mix alongside Matt Patricia and the whole operation losing the clarity a young quarterback needs.
The result was confusion that bled onto the field and helped push the offense into a spiral that led to more coaching changes down the line. For Patriots fans who lived through that stretch, Jones account does not so much rewrite the season as confirm how unstable it felt, and it helps explain why the organization kept searching for a fix long after the damage was done. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Fans Wont Like Whos Being Linked To Super Bowl Prep
Seattle fans are still enjoying the afterglow of Super Bowl LX, but the conversation around how Seattle prepared for New England has taken on a strange twist. On The Dan Patrick Show, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said the team had help from someone with a conflict of interest during its buildup to the title game, a remark that immediately sent speculation in a few directions.
Macdonald did move to cool off one of the biggest theories, saying the adviser was not Bill Belichick, even as the mystery around the role lingered. For Patriots followers, it is another frustrating footnote to a game Seattle won with Kenneth Walker III taking MVP honors, and it adds a little more intrigue to a matchup that already left New England looking for answers. [Read more 🡒]