Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Patriots 53-man roster projection 2.0: Which veterans run the risk of getting cut?
Kyle Dugger could be on the outside looking in at a roster spot in New England.
With the Patriots’ final preseason game set for Thursday night against the Giants, here’s our updated look at New England’s projected 53-man roster for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
There have been some tweaks from our Roster Projection 1.0 released last week, especially after a few more joint practices and a 20-12 preseason victory over the Vikings on Saturday.
Quarterback (2): Drake Maye, Joshua Dobbs
Once again, no changes to this personnel grouping — with Maye holding court as the unquestioned QB1.
Much like Maye’s play against second and third-team players during two preseason games, Dobbs’ play under center has had some ups and downs. Still, the 30-year-old veteran is still in the driver’s seat when it comes to securing a spot as Maye’s backup moving forward.
Advertisement:
Ben Wooldridge has showcased some potential as New England’s QB3, although the Patriots might be able to stash him on the practice squad if no team claims him if he’s waived.
Running back (3): Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Antonio Gibson
You could make the case that one of JaMycal Hasty or Terrell Jennings could warrant a roster spot, given the need for depth at this position following Lan Larison’s season-ending foot injury. But for now, we’re keeping this three-man unit intact between Stevenson, Henderson, and Gibson.
Even though the expectation is that Stevenson will log a majority of snaps in New England’s run-heavy offense, that sentiment might change as Henderson continues to establish himself as an explosive playmaker.
Advertisement:
Gibson is also a great complementary piece to an area of strength on New England’s roster, given his ability to reel in catches and contribute on special teams.
Wide receivers (7): Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Javon Baker, Efton Chism III
After a breakout performance on Saturday against the Vikings, it sure feels like Chism is looking like a roster lock alongside other wideouts in Diggs, Douglas, Boutte, Williams, and Hollins.
The shifty wideout out of Eastern Washington continues to look the part as an effective target out of the slot, but his play strength might be the most impressive part of his game. Even at 5-foot-10, Chism has had no issue shedding tackles and fighting for extra yardage.
Given New England’s propensity for letting drives stall out last season, Maye could find a few trustworthy security blankets during short-yardage situations between Chism and DeMario Douglas.
Javon Baker had a preseason game to forget on Saturday against the Vikings, including zero catches on his first six targets while also getting whistled for a false start in the red zone. Still, Baker’s contributions on special teams and his profile as a potential boundary receiver make him one of the last players in on this roster projection.
Tight ends (3): Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jack Westover
No changes here, with both Henry and Hooper expected to serve as dependable pass-catching options for Maye this fall.
Advertisement:
Even with some younger tight ends on the roster like CJ Dippre and Gee Scott, Westover appears to have the edge as the team’s third tight end, given his ability to play fullback.
Offensive linemen (9): Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, Mike Onwenu, Jared Wilson, Garrett Bradbury, Ben Brown, Marcus Bryant, Caedan Wallace, Vederian Lowe
So much for our projection last week that New England’s starting O-line seemed to be finalized with a grouping of Campbell, Wilson, Bradbury, Onwenu, and Moses in place.
While Campbell has steadied his game since the start of camp, the biggest issue now lies on the interior, with another rookie in Wilson and the team’s projected starting center in Bradbury both struggling recently.
Ben Brown — who performed admirably as New England’s starting center last year following David Andrews’ season-ending injury — has seen his stock rise as of late, especially after helping clear the way for a TreVeyon Henderson touchdown on Saturday against the Vikings.
Where Brown slots in depends on how both Wilson and Bradbury fare down the stretch, but it looks as though there’s plenty now up in the air when it comes to the left tackle and center position. That sentiment carries over the additional depth needed at guard, as it’s still unclear who has the inside edge among names like Caedan Wallace, Cole Strange, and others.
Advertisement:
Strange’s ability to play center could also raise his value, but we’ll go with Wallace here — who also has the chance to move back over to tackle if needed. One change we made involves tackle depth, as we have Vederian Lowe leapfrogging Demontrey Jacobs on the depth chart.
For now, it looks as though both Lowe and rookie Marcus Bryant will be the first men up if Campbell struggles or Morgan Moses continues to be hampered by injury.
Defensive tackles (5): Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Khyiris Tonga, Joshua Farmer, Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
No changes expected on this grouping, which is also expected to be an area of strength with Barmore, Williams, and Tonga leading the way. Farmer hasn’t had the most impressive camp so far, but his spot on the roster should be secure as a rookie — who should also be given ample time to develop on this personnel grouping.
The case could be made that Pharms was in danger of losing out on a roster spot to Isaiah Iton, but the promising tackle was placed on injured reserve after suffering a hip injury on Saturday against Minnesota.
Edge players (7): Harold Landry, Keion White, K’Lavon Chaisson, Truman Jones, Bradyn Swinson, Elijah Ponder, Anfernee Jennings
Another stacked segment of New England’s roster, this personnel grouping is poised to make some noise after New England posted a league-worst 28 sacks in 2024. Even though White has quieted down as camp has gone on, both Landry and Chaisson are looking like legitimate impact players in Foxborough.
A player like Landry with 50.5 sacks on his resume shouldn’t necessarily surprise as a potent pass-rusher in New England. But, Chiasson is looking like a revelation after the 2020 first-round pick opened his NFL career with just five sacks over his first four seasons. Once thought of as a potential situational pass-rusher in New England, Chiasson repped opposite Landry and other starters during Tuesday’s practice in Foxborough.
Advertisement:
The rest of New England’s crop of edge players feature plenty of young talent that have drawn high marks from the Patriots’ coaching staff. In particular, Patriots outside linebackers coach Mike Smith gave a rave review of Elijah Ponder — calling him “one of the best undrafted free agent pickups” he’s ever seen.
“If you look at his athletic ability, it’s off the charts,” Smith said, per Nicole Yang of The Boston Globe. “He’s a big rusher. He moves great in space. He’s not scared to go put his face right down the middle, like you saw in the game. He’s got this very rare ability of picking up things quickly and looking like he’s done it from Day 1, which is remarkable.”
Beyond his athleticism, Ponder could warrant a spot on New England’s roster given his contributions on special teams.
One name to keep tabs on here is Jennings, a veteran who played well into the fourth quarter of Saturday’s win over Minnesota. That doesn’t bode well for Jennings’ future in New England as Mike Vrabel and Terrell Williams overhaul the team’s defense, but Jennings made the most of his reps by recording three sacks against the Vikings.
Even if Jennings may not fit in New England’s defensive scheme, the talent is still there with the 28-year-old edge player, and he could be showcased for a trade moving forward.
Linebackers (4): Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, Jack Gibbens, Jahlani Tavai
It feels like something’s got to give with this linebacker corps, especially when it comes to that fourth spot.
Advertisement:
Spillane, Elliss, and Gibbens should be regarded as locks moving forward. But, it’s still a thin spot on New England’s defense, especially with Tavai largely limited all preseason/camp with some sort of injury.
Even if he was healthy, Tavai’s profile as a heavier, run-stuffing linebacker doesn’t exactly fit in Vrabel’s scheme, which emphasizes more mobile options behind the defensive line.
But with no other linebackers rising to the occasion further down on the depth chart, Tavai makes the team for now. This could be an area that New England addresses once other NFL squads start trimming down their rosters next week.
Cornerback (5): Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Alex Austin, DJ James
Even with some of the injury concerns regarding New England’s starting corner duo of Gonzalez and Davis, New England’s secondary still seems to be in good shape with Austin and James continuing to look like dependable backup options.
Austin has shown a knack for being a sound coverage corner, while James has some J.C. Jackson to his game as a true ball hawk. Both players could be poised for greater roles in 2025, but ideally it’s behind both Gonzalez and Davis.
Safety (5): Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson, Marcus Epps, Brenden Schooler
After plummeting down the depth chart and playing well into the fourth quarter on Saturday, we have veteran Kyle Dugger no longer on New England’s roster come Week 1 — be it via trade or outright release.
That would be a tough pill to swallow given Dugger’s contract, but his play style and coverage woes seemingly make him a square peg in a round hole in Vrabel’s system.
Advertisement:
Dugger’s exit would open the door for rookie Craig Woodson to step into a greater role right out of the gate — likely alongside an established veteran in Peppers.
Special teams (3): John Parker Romo, Julian Ashby, Bryce Baringer
Andy Borregales might have the highest upside and the draft pedigree on his side (sixth round, 2025 NFL Draft). But, the veteran Romo has been the more consistent kicker thus far.
According to MassLive’s Mark Daniels, Romo has made 90.1 percent of his attempts (38-of-42), while also connecting on a 57-yard field goal earlier this month in New England’s preseason opener against Washington. Borregales, meanwhile, has converted on 85.7 percent of his field goals (42-of-49) so far this summer.
One player worth following is fellow rookie Julian Ashby, who has had a few shaky showings as the team’s long snapper — especially on Saturday against Minnesota.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com