The New England Patriots will play the penultimate, and most important, preseason game on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. The game is an opportunity for players to make their case for a roster spot or a starting role. Bill Belichick would probably say this game is just a piece of the puzzle in terms of evaluating the players. Still, Belichick’s decisions in this game will reveal what he has been thinking through the other pieces of evaluation. With that in mind, here are eight players worth monitoring because they’ve got a lot to prove in their respective position battles.
Offense
N’Keal Harry, WR
Harry’s path to starting isn’t getting easier. Julian Edelman and Demaryius Thomas returned to practice this week. Josh Gordon has returned to the team from a league-imposed indefinite suspension. They figure to quickly earn reps with the first-team offense. Meanwhile, Jakobi Meyers, an undrafted wideout, has been stunningly good, and got first-team reps over Harry earlier in training camp. Phillip Dorsett also figures to be in the mix.
Harry needs a strong preseason performance lest he get buried by this deep group of receivers. And that’s assuming he’ll play — he’s been nursing an undisclosed injury for the last few weeks.
Isaiah Wynn, LT
He seems to be making steady physical improvements after playing three drives in the Patriots’ second preseason game. New England has been easing him back into action amid his recovery from an Achilles injury that landed him on injured reserve for all of the 2018 season.
Wynn, a 2018 first-round pick, is on pace to win the starting job, so long as he is physically ready to play a full NFL game. It will be interesting to see how much work he gets.
Brian Hoyer, QB
Jarrett Stidham seems to be gaining on Hoyer, who has been good enough to stave off Stidham for the time being. But another good performance from Stidham — and perhaps a bad one from Hoyer — could complicate the pecking order at quarterback. The Patriots just replaced veteran punter Ryan Allen with a rookie in Jake Bailey. They like to cut costs, and in the case of the quarterback position, they historically seem to like to carry just two. Hoyer needs to make sure he continues to prove himself worth keeping.
Lance Kendricks, TE
The Patriots don’t have a standout at tight end, but if anyone can be one, it might just be Kendricks, who has more experience as a pass catcher than most of the other tight ends. The group includes unproven names like Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo, Stephen Anderson and Tim Beck.
The tight end situation is looking a little dire. Kendricks might improve the complexion of the competition by catching a few balls from Brady on Thursday night.
Defense
Mike Pennel, DT
With Danny Shelton looking hugely improved over the last few weeks, Pennel’s playing time has suffered. He has been playing deep into preseason games, which isn’t a good sign for his standing on the roster.
Duke Dawson, CB
It’s time to sound the alarm for Dawson. At first, his lack of playing team seemed like a product of the competition around him. It was easy to give him a pass when Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones and special teams standout Keion Crossen were getting the start on game day. But Dawson is still struggling to show he’s a capable starter, and the Patriots added second-round pick Joejuan Williams to the competition. He needs to show he can contribute — and fast.
Keion Crossen, CB
He seems to have edged Dawson on the roster bubble because he has been so competent on special teams. That earned him a roster spot in 2018 and could do the same this season. But if he wants job security, he needs to show up more often on defense, where he has yet to prove comfortable.
J.C. Jackson, CB
Yes, another cornerback. Unlike Dawson and Crossen, Jackson isn’t fighting for a roster spot. Instead, Jackson is trying to win a starting role. McCourty and Williams are making bids to overtake Jackson on the depth chart. He can’t coast on his rookie season — he needs to play well to get on the field with Stephon Gilmore and the starting defense in Week 1.
