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Patriots 53-man roster projection 1.0: Who makes the cut after preseason opener?
The Patriots might have some tough decisions to make at wide receiver and other areas of the roster.
With one preseason game now in the books after New England’s 48-18 win over the Commanders on Friday, here’s our first look at the Patriots’ projected 53-man roster for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
Quarterback (2): Drake Maye, Joshua Dobbs
No major surprises with this one, with third-string QB Ben Wooldridge the odd man out on this personnel grouping (and likely a candidate for the practice squad).
Maye is New England’s No. 1 option under center, and barring a catastrophic injury, that’s not going to change any time soon.
Dobbs wasn’t very accurate during Friday’s preseason win over Washington, but the 30-year-old veteran should be a capable backup and mentor to Maye in his second season in the NFL ranks.
Running back (3): Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Antonio Gibson
The loss of promising rookie Lan Larison is a tough hit for the Patriots, with the undrafted back out of UC Davis out for the year due to a broken foot.
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Still, New England’s running-back room looks to be an area of strength on this team — with Stevenson and Henderson poised to be a dangerous 1-2 punch in the trenches. A versatile pass-catching back in Gibson also figures to be a key contributor during third-down situations and on special teams.
Wide receivers (7): Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Javon Baker, Efton Chism III
Seven wideouts?
For now, we’re opting for a crowded wideout room, especially with a few players on the roster bubble raising their stock in recent days.
At this point, Diggs, Douglas, and Boutte look to be roster locks as the team’s go-to wideout, slot receiver, and “X” receiver on the boundary, respectively.
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Williams will make the team given his standing as a 2025 third-round pick (who has the means to develop into a dynamic deep threat), while Hollins should also earn a spot after New England signed him this offseason to be a big-bodied possession target.
Things get murky after that. Still, we have second-year pro Javon Baker and undrafted free agent Efton Chism III earning spots on the Week 1 roster.
Baker’s stock was seemingly plummeting at the start of camp after a disastrous rookie campaign (one reception, 12 yards, zero touchdowns).
But the 2024 fourth-round pick has popped at times during practice with some highlight-reel snags, while also raising his value with a few special-teams tackles on Friday against Washington. That versatility, upside, and willingness to buy into Mike Vrabel’s message has helped Baker’s case.
Chism had plenty of hype going into camp as a shifty pass-catcher who shredded Cooper Kupp’s collegiate records at Eastern Washington. But after failing to stand out over the first two weeks of camp, Chism has made major strides over the last few days.
After recording six catches for 50 yards and a touchdown during Friday’s preseason opener, Chism submitted the play of the day on Monday – reeling in a touchdown while leaping over Marcus Jones in coverage.
If Chism continues to stack positive days, he could emerge as another weapon out of the slot for Maye and Co.
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That means veteran Kendrick Bourne — who is currently sidelined with a foot injury — could be the odd man out.
Second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk was also looking like a cut candidate, although a shoulder/arm injury suffered on Friday could lead to him going on IR.
Tight ends (3): Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jack Westover
Again, no surprises when it comes to both Henry and Hooper making the team. But it remains to be seen who slots in as the team’s third tight end.
If the Patriots are looking to further bolster their depth by adding a potential fullback — Westover makes plenty of sense after earning reps at the position on Friday.
Offensive linemen (9): Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, Mike Onwenu, Jared Wilson, Garrett Bradbury, Ben Brown, Marcus Bryant, Caedan Wallace, Demontrey Jacobs
After over two weeks of camp and one preseason game, it looks as though New England’s starting offensive line is: Will Campbell (LT), Jared Wilson (LG), Garrett Bradbury (C), Mike Onwenu (RG), and Morgan Moses (RT).
But given the mix of inexperience and age (in Moses’ case at 34) on the roster, New England needs to identify some depth at the line of scrimmage.
In our projection, Demontrey Jacobs and 2025 seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant serve as the next men up at swing tackle, while 2024 third-round selection Caedan Wallace serves as more of a backup left guard behind Wilson.
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Ben Brown is also retained as backup option at center in case Bradbury struggles in his first season in New England.
That means that New England will clear house with several other draft classes — moving on from 2022 first-round pick Cole Strange, as well as other recent selections like Sidy Sow and Layden Robinson.
Despite Strange’s standing as a former first-round pick, he hasn’t been able to entrench himself as a viable starter at either left guard or center so far this summer.
Defensive tackles (5): Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Khyiris Tonga, Joshua Farmer, Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
The Patriots are seemingly poised to wreak havoc on the defensive line this season, especially if Christian Barmore has a clean bill of health and Milton Williams lives up to the four-year, $104 million contract he secured in the spring.
But Khyiris Tonga is also looking like an impact player so far during camp, with the defensive tackle both collapsing the pocket and clogging up running lanes with his 335-pound frame.
Farmer sticks around as a 2025 fourth-round pick, while Pharms adds some additional insurance to this personnel group.
Edge players (6): Harold Landry, Keion White, K’Lavon Chaisson, Truman Jones, Bradyn Swinson, Elijah Ponder
After ranking dead last in the NFL last season in sacks (28), the Patriots should be a pass-rushing force with a revamped roster in 2025.
Harold Landry has been a threat so far during camp, while K’Lavon Chaisson (when healthy) has popped in 1-on-1 matchups and team drills so far this summer. Chaisson could be a dangerous situational pass-rusher, especially if the big bodies up front like Williams and Barmore collapse the pocket.
Keion White has a prime opportunity to build off some of the promise he showcased last year, while Harvard alum Truman Jones was a standout during Friday’s preseason opener on both defense and special teams.
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Ponder is another name to watch, as he could develop into a core special-teams contributor under Jeremy Springer’s watch. His block opened the lane for TreVeyon Henderson to explode for a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown on Friday.
Anfernee Jennings was a solid player on a flawed Patriots defense last season, but it wasn’t a good sign that he was playing deep into the fourth quarter during Friday’s game. His play style may not fit with what Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams are looking to instill on that side of the ball.
Linebackers (4): Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, Jack Gibbens, Marte Mapu
Spillane, Elliss, and Gibbens look like locks at this thin area of the roster, but there could be an interesting battle brewing between Mapu and veteran Jahlani Tavai.
Mapu — a 2023 third-round pick — has left a lot to be desired so far in his NFL career. But the former safety could raise his stock on a linebacker corps that seems to be prioritizing speed and versatility under Vrabel and Williams.
Beyond Tavai’s injury woes so far during camp, he’s not exactly the most mobile linebacker — which could put his play style at odds with New England’s revamped vision on defense.
Cornerback (5): Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Alex Austin, DJ James
The bad news? New England’s starting corner duo of Gonzalez and Davis have been sidelined by injuries during camp.
The good news? Both Austin and James are looking like more-than-capable backup options at corner — who could also thrive in elevated roles if the injury bug continues to sting.
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For now, New England isn’t fretting over the health of both Gonzalez and Davis. But New England at least has some solid contingency plans in place with Austin and James — who have popped in preseason play as a sticky coverage corner and dynamic ball-hawk, respectively.
Safety (6): Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson, Marcus Epps, Brenden Schooler
This position group could change in a hurry if Kyle Dugger continues to struggle in New England’s new scheme.
For now — perhaps as a result of Dugger’s contract making it tough to either cut or trade him — we have the veteran sticking around. However, rookie Craig Woodson is making a legitimate push for starting reps already as a fleet-footed, instinctive presence in the secondary.
Jabrill Peppers is a lock to start, while Brenden Schooler is also safe as a special-team ace. Hawkins will serve as some depth, while we have Marcus Epps just edging out Dell Pettus for the final spot on this roster.
Special teams (3): Andy Borregales, Julian Ashby, Bryce Baringer
No surprises when it comes to Ashby and Baringer making the cut as the team’s de-facto long snapper and punter.
The kicker competition, however, remains up in the air as both rookie Andy Borregales and veteran John Parker Romo continue to trade kicks and vie for the starting spot.
Going into Monday’s practice, Romo had the slight edge over Borregales — connecting on 32-of-33 kicks, while Borrregales was 30-of-34. Monday was a step in the wrong direction for both players, as Borregales was 2-for-5 — and Romo went just 1-for-4.
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Speaking on Monday, Patriots special teams coach Jeremy Springer said that Borregales’ draft position (sixth round, 182 overall) would not impact New England’s decision-making when it came to roster cuts.
“I just think at the end of the day, it’s the consistent person. It doesn’t matter if you’re drafted or undrafted or you were picked up in free agency,” Springer said. “Coach Vrabel’s message is very clear – you have to earn a role. If you earn a role through consistency and showing up every day, to me, that’s the guy who’s going to win the job. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who they are, and that’s how I approach it every day.
Romo has been more consistent so far, but Borregales’ ceiling is still higher as New England tries to find long-term fixtures at several key positions.
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