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Patriots training camp stock watch: Who’s rising and falling on New England’s depth chart?
Kayshon Boutte and Jared Wilson have had a strong start to training camp so far with the Patriots.
With nine training camp practices now in the books in Foxborough, things are starting to heat up in New England when it comes to the Patriots’ ongoing roster battles.
While sizable camp cuts are still a ways off, several players have impressed in the early going of Patriots training camp — while some familiar names have also found themselves on the roster bubble.
Here’s our first stock watch for Patriots’ 2025 training camp as we assess which players are rising and falling on the depth chart.
STOCK UP
G/C Jared Wilson
Will Campbell might draw most of the attention when it comes to rookie offensive linemen in New England.
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But, it’s been 2025 third-round pick Jared Wilson who has been the early standout at the line of scrimmage for the Patriots through the first two weeks of training camp.
Initially drafted by New England as a center out of Georgia, Wilson’s versatility and sound fundamentals has been put on display in the early going — as he has made the switch to left guard this summer and has consistently earned first-team reps as of late.
Even if New England’s projected starting center in Garrett Bradbury struggles this season, Wilson stands as some much-needed insurance if he has to slot over to that position this season. So far, the rookie has not looked out of place at the NFL level.
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“Jared is really, really (expletive) good. I love asking him questions. He always has a different perspective,”Patriots offensive lineman Caedan Wallace said last week. “For a rookie, he’s just really good. The way he moves. The way he protects in the pass game and the way he gets off the ball in the run game. It’s admirable.”
WR Kayshon Boutte
After an offseason rife with trade rumors, it looked as though Boutte was going to be one of the odd men out in an already crowded Patriots receivers room.
But, the 2023 sixth-round pick has been a constant on New England’s first-team offensive unit with Drake Maye this sumer, playing alongside other expected starters in Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas.
The return of a healthy Mack Hollins might cut into those first-team snaps, but Boutte has looked like a reliable target for Maye as the team’s go-to “X” wideout.
After showing some flashes in 2024 (43 catches, 589 yards, three touchdowns), Boutte has looked far more consistent entering his third NFL season.
DT Khyiris Tonga
An underrated free-agent pickup by New England, Tonga has been a force at the line of scrimmage so far during camp.
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There’s plenty of hype regarding New England’s pass rush in 2025 due to the signing of Milton Williams, Christian Barmore’s return, and the continued development of Keion White. But, the 29-year-old Tonga has been disruptive during practices as the big man in the middle — generating pressure while also clogging up running lanes given his 6-foot-2, 335-pound frame.
Much like other underrated nose tackles in New England like Sealver Siliga and Alan Branch, Tonga could offer up plenty of value doing the dirty work up front for the Patriots in 2025.
DE K’Lavon Chaisson
A former first-round pick (2020) who has struggled to put it all together at the NFL level (10.0 sacks in 72 games), Chaisson has been noticeable during camp in both 1-on-1 drills and 11-on-11 periods.
The 6-foot-3, 254-pound defensive end has a strong burst off the line and good hands, which has allowed him to slip past some first-unit offensive linemen like Morgan Moses and Will Campbell so far during camp.
With most opposing teams dialed in on the likes of Barmore, Williams, and White, Chaisson could be in line for a strong season as more of a situational pass-rusher.
CB DJ James
With Christian Gonzalez dealing with a hamstring injury and fellow starter Carlton Davis also banged up, Patriots fans should be keeping a close eye on the next wave of secondary contributors on this roster. So far, James has made a name for himself as a ball-hawking menace during drills.
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A 2024 sixth-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks, James has been a pest for both Maye and fellow QB Joshua Dobbs during 11-on-11 drills — recording multiple pass breakups to go along with an interception.
With Marcus Jones expected to slot in as more of a slot corner, James could carve out a role next to Alex Austin and Marcellas Dial as the team’s primary backup options on the outside if Gonzalez and Davis have to miss time.
STOCK DOWN
WR Ja’Lynn Polk
Polk isn’t looking back on a disastrous 2024 season as he tries to earn a clean slate this summer.
“I don’t go off the narrative, what people think of me,” Polk said last week. “I know who I am and I know the work that I put in each and every day to help this team win. I’m going to keep working hard each and every day. I’m going to keep going into my preparation and applying it on the field.”
Still, Polk is staring at an uphill climb when it comes to breaking camp in an already crowded receiver room.
Beyond missing the first week of camp due to some nagging injuries, Polk hasn’t exactly separated himself from the pack so far, especially when it comes to other wideouts who could be on the bubble, like Kendrick Bourne and Javon Baker.
Yes, Polk is a second-year player and a former second-round pick. But, with a new coaching staff in place in New England, Polk’s lofty draft status may not hold much weight as to whether or not the Patriots will retain him moving forward.
LT Will Campbell
After a promising start to camp as New England’s de-facto starting left tackle, the fourth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft has endured some growing pains since the Patriots have moved on to padded practices.
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Despite holding his own when it comes to clearing a path for running backs, Campbell has had some struggles with pass protection — especially against rangy, athletic edge players like Chaisson.
Concerns over Campbell’s arm length will likely persist if he continues to submit up-and-down performances this week, although rookie struggles shouldn’t exactly be much of a surprise for any NFL … nor is an indictment on Campbell’s viability as a future franchise fixture at left tackle.
So far, Campbell isn’t fretting over his inconsistent play.
“Josh McDaniels told me a couple of weeks ago, ‘You don’t lose. You learn or you win,’” Campbell said Friday after New England’s in-stadium scrimmage, per MassLive’s Mark Daniels. “I’m a rookie. I’m out here learning. Some things that I do in college don’t work out here. It’s a different league, so finding what works for me out there. Everything that you do that doesn’t go your way is something that you learn from. It doesn’t count as a loss.”
G/C Cole Strange
Wilson’s rise as a potential Day 1 starter for New England comes at the detriment of Strange, whose time in New England could be coming to a close as he sinks further down the depth chart.
The 2022 first-round pick submitted mixed results last season as a center once he returned from a major leg injury. And with both Wilson and even Caeden Wallace impressing at left guard in camp, Strange has seemingly been demoted to third-string reps already.
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Perhaps a switch back to center could allow him to compete for reps with players like Bradbury and Ben Brown, but the odds aren’t currently in Stange’s favor.
DE/LB Anfernee Jennings
It’s more of the numbers game that’s hurting Jennings’ draft stock at this stage of the summer. Despite showing some potential last season, Jennings has struggled to earn consistent reps on a revamped defense that has Harold Landry, White, and Chaisson already in place as pass-rushing threats.
It might take a strong showing during preseason play for Jennings to re-establish himself as a regular contributor on this defensive unit.
WR Efton Chism III
A lot of the offseason hype regarding a shifty slot receiver like Chism has cooled off since camp has started. The undrafted wideout out of Eastern Washington hasn’t made much of an impact with proven NFL starters during camp, with Chism often reeling in passes from Dobbs or third-string QB Ben Wooldridge.
Despite his lack of pop so far in camp, Chism said that he’s working with Josh McDaniels when it comes to finding out what he needs to do to earn a spot on this roster — although he’ll need to pick up the pace in short order.
“Right now, I’m watching – we got a cut up and it’s all [Danny] Amendola’s catches and all the passes he’s even got targets on,” Chism said last week. “I’m going through and watching that right now, kind of seeing how he ran through his offense with McDaniels when he was here, and learn everything I can through that.”
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