Insider Reveals Two 'Under-the-Radar' Standouts at Patriots' OTAs

The New England Patriots are off to a hot start during this offseason's OTAs.

Within the first few trainings under rookie head coach Jerod Mayo, it seems there have been some names to take notice of already exceeding initial expectations, and effectively generating a chance to cement themselves on the 53-man.

According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, both LB Oshane Ximines and DE William Bradley-King have started to put together an 'unexpected charge' for a roster spot through their early offseason performance:

"Free agent signing Oshane Ximines (fifth year, Old Dominion) and former practice-squad player William Bradley-King (first year, Baylor) have taken advantage, putting them in the category of under-the-radar players building momentum to make an unexpected charge for a roster spot. With so much media attention naturally focused on Maye and the offense during practices, not to be overlooked are some of the new faces potentially emerging on D."
Mike Reiss, ESPN

Ximines is a 6-foot-4, 255-pound linebacker who last played for the New York Giants. After appearing in just three games during his 2023 campaign, the 27-year-old will get a chance to make agreaterimpact with a fresh situation in New England.

As for Bradley-King, he was drafted as a seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft by the Washington Commanders. He appeared in four games throughout his two seasons with the team and is now gunning for a new opportunity on the Patriots' roster for the coming year.

A large chunk of the Patriots' improvements during the spring have been on the offensive end-- primarily focused in the draft with Drake Maye, alongside additional pass catchers and offensive linemen. Still, smaller investments on the other side of the ball have proven to be worthwhile as well.

New England's front seven was an already solid unit with guys like Christian Barmore, Jahlani Tavai, and Ja'Whaun Bentley headlining last year's group, along with Matthew Judon returning from injury. Bringing in more depth is far from a poor decision to further bolster this defense, and give this team some optimism heading into 2024.

Keep a keen eye on both Ximines and Bradley-King as the Patriots begin trimming down their roster for the new year.

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