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Who were the top studs and duds from Patriots preseason action?
Efton Chism and TreVeyon Henderson are among the top performers so far this summer in Foxborough.
The Patriots’ preseason slate has finally come to an end.
Mike Vrabel and his staff now have the unenviable task of cutting down New England’s roster to 53 players before 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
But after three preseason games and several training-camp practices, there have been a few players on the Patriots’ roster who have raised their stock — and find themselves on the roster bubble.
Here’s a look at the best and worst performers this preseason for New England.
STUDS
TreVeyon Henderson
Henderson is already looking like the most dynamic playmaker on New England’s roster. The 2025 second-round pick was expected to bring some value in a supporting role this season given his pass-catching talents and skills as a bruising blocker.
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But Henderson’s speed and explosiveness has been put on display during camp practices, joint sessions, and preseason action — be it his 100-yard kickoff return touchdown against Washington or his eight-yard score against Minnesota the following week.
Henderson could be due for a big year given his versatile skillset and 0-to-60 acceleration.
Efton Chism III
Another rookie who has turned heads this preseason, the undrafted standout out of Eastern Washington has quieted plenty of doubters after a slow start to camp. The shifty slot receiver was arguably New England’s most dynamic pass-catcher in preseason action — reeling in 12 catches off 14 targets for 121 yards and two touchdowns over two games.
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He could develop into a reliable safety blanket for Drake Maye in short-yardage situations — especially alongside another slot wideout in DeMario Douglas.
K’Lavon Chaisson
The Patriots should have no shortage of impactful pass-rushers on their revamped defense — especially with the return of Christian Barmore and the offseason additions of Harold Landry, Milton Williams, and others.
But Chaisson — who signed a one-year deal this offseason with the expectation of being more of a situational pass-rusher — is looking like a potential starter alongside Landry based on practices this week.
After recording just five sacks over his first four NFL seasons, Chaisson looks as though he might be putting it all together with the Patriots as a dynamic athlete who can close in on the quarterback in short order.
Khyiris Tonga
Another underrated offseason pickup by New England, Tonga is looking like New England’s starting nose tackle after a very strong summer.
Even though players like Williams, Landry, and others might stuff the stat sheet with sacks this fall, a lot of that pressure stands to be generated up the middle by the 335-pound Tonga — who has regularly made life miserable for interior offensive linemen.
John Parker Romo
For now, it looks as though the veteran has won New England’s competitive battle for the starting kicker spot. Despite rookie Andy Borregales’ draft pedigree, Romo has been the better option so far this summer — converting on over 90 percent of his field-goal attempts during practices while also booting a 57-yard field goal against Washington.
Will Campbell
After a slow start to camp when it came to pass protection, Campbell showcased plenty of potential during his two preseason appearances against Washington and Minnesota.
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Entering Week 3 of the preseason, Pro Football Focus noted that Campbell is the only offensive tackle to receive a grade of 80 or higher in both pass (80.1) and run blocking (87.6) so far during preseason action. He still has some work to do in pass protection, but Campbell looks like a mauler in the run game who should have room to grow as New England’s de-facto left tackle.
Craig Woodson
The 2025 fourth-round pick opened up camp flying under the radar, especially when compared to other rookies like Campbell, Henderson, and others. But the 24-year-old safety out of Cal has impressed with his athleticism and ability to cover ground in short order — even starting alongside Jabrill Peppers during Thursday’s game against New York.
Alex Austin
While injury concerns linger over starting corners Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, Austin has alleviated some of those woes by putting together a strong summer.
After popping at the end of the 2024 season, Austin has been steady this summer as a coverage corner — breaking up a potential touchdown from Washington QB Sam Hartman on Aug. 8 before only giving up one catch on four targets against Minnesota the following week.
DJ James
Another backup corner who has exceeded expectations this summer, the former Seahawks sixth-round draft pick has been a thorn in the side of QBs as a dynamic ball hawk.
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James, who has snagged several interceptions during red-zone drills in camp, also picked off a pass during New England’s preseason victory over Washington. Both he and Austin could be called upon this season if Gonzalez and Davis continue to deal with injuries.
Ben Brown
After stepping in as New England’s starting center last season following David Andrews’ season-ending injury, Brown has once again served as a dependable player in the interior of the Patriots’ O-line this summer.
With rookie Jared Wilson going through some growing pains during preseason action and Garrett Bradbury laboring at center, Brown could be playing himself into a starting spot for Week 1.
Truman Jones
A former standout at Harvard, Jones has been one of the more unheralded — but consistent — players on the defensive line for New England. His best game came against Washington, where he recorded two QB pressures and several run stuffs.
Elijah Ponder
Patriots outside linebackers coach Mike Smith didn’t mince words when asked this week about Ponder — calling him “one of the best undrafted free agent pickups” he’s ever seen.
Ponder may be pushed down the depth chart on a team with multiple playmakers at the edge position.
But he’s consistently won battles in 1-on-1 matchups, while also landing some key blocks on special teams that led to major returns for New England. He could carve out a role as an impactful special-teams stalwart alongside players like Brenden Schooler.
DUDS
Kyle Dugger
This one might be harsh, because Dugger actually recorded two interceptions this preseason — while also breaking up two passes and recording six tackles on Thursday against the Giants.
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But no veteran on New England’s roster has seen his stock drop as far as Dugger’s this summer — with the former starting safety demoted to the scout team earlier this week while playing into the fourth quarter in games against the Vikings and Giants.
Dugger might still have something left in the tank, but the 29-year-old may not be the best fit for Mike Vrabel and Terrell Williams’ revamped defense in New England.
Much like Dugger, Anfernee Jennings (three sacks against Minnesota) is another veteran whose fit in Vrabel’s scheme might lead to him playing elsewhere — rather than his overall performance.
Javon Baker
Credit to Baker for making an impact on special teams this summer — with the 2024 fourth-round pick landing some tackles against Washington before forcing a fumble against the Giants after pushing a New York player into the returner on a punt.
But if Baker wanted to earn a spot in an already crowded Patriots wideout room, he was going to reel in some catches as well. That didn’t play out during preseason action, with Baker knocked for a couple of drops while also getting whistled for a pair of penalties against New York and Minnesota.
Even with Baker’s potential as a gunner on special teams, that alone might not be good enough to warrant a roster spot.
Cole Strange
Once viewed as the odds-on favorite to start at left guard this season, Strange has been leapfrogged by both Jared Wilson and Ben Brown on the depth chart.
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On Thursday, Strange played in the second half alongside other third-string players and didn’t do much to help his case — giving up plenty of pressure on the inside while also getting knocked for some botched snaps to Ben Wooldridge. The 2022 first-round pick could be on his way out in New England.
Andy Borregales
While Romo has made the most of his opportunity, the first kicker taken in the 2025 NFL Draft in Borregales failed to capitalize in critical situations.
After missing a 57-yard field goal against Minnesota last week (partly a result of a poor snap from Julian Ashby), Borrigales was unable to convert a 49-yard field goal on Thursday against the Giants.
Borregales converted on 3-of-5 field-goal attempts during the preseason, and connected on 85.7 percent of his attempts (42-of-49) during training camp, per MassLive’s Mark Daniels.
Borregales hasn’t been unplayable, nor should it be a surprise for rookie kickers to labor in the early going. Still, Romo has been the better option so far this summer.
Keion White
While Chiasson has seen his stock soar during camp, White has seen his spot on New England’s depth chart slip a bit in recent weeks. Pushed down to the second-string defense this week, White also didn’t make much of an impact in Thursday’s preseason game against New York — while also earning extended snaps (30) on the night.
Ja’Lynn Polk
It’s looking like another lost season for the 2024 second-round pick, with Polk expected to miss the entire 2025 season due to shoulder surgery. That injury — suffered on a failed jet sweep against the Commanders — might have saved Polk from getting cut outright next week, as he failed to pop during the early stages of camp.
Caedan Wallace
Another 2024 draft pick who has seen his stock drop, Wallace hasn’t been able to settle into a groove at either tackle or guard on a Patriots team that needs some depth at the line of scrimmage. It wasn’t a good sign that Wallace was playing well into the fourth quarter on Thursday alongside other offensive linemen that are likely set to be cut like Demontrey Jacobs.
Joshua Dobbs
There’s a compelling case to be made that both Dobbs and starting QB Drake Maye haven’t been all that impressive during their preseason reps.
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Maye in particular was knocked for a poor turnover against the Commanders that drew the ire of Mike Vrabel, with the franchise signal-caller ending the preseason going 7-of-12 in passing attempts during preseason action.
It wasn’t the most bombastic showing from Maye against second and third-string players, but we’re not going to hit the panic button quite yet — especially with Maye also showing out in several competitive joint practices with the Commanders and Vikings.
But Dobbs has been a lot shakier as a passer, both during camp and especially during a preseason game against Washington where he missed Kyle Williams on several throws and completed just five of his 12 pass attempts.
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