Patriots Rookies Putting AFC East 'On Notice'?
The New England Patriots have started getting a glimpse of their first-year players through rookie minicamp. And while helmet logos and jerseys still need to be earned, it hasn't slowed down draftees from showcasing their abilities on the field.
Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez headlines New England's 12-man class along with a handful of undrafted players looking to crack the regular season roster.
In a recent Bleacher Report article, the site predicted three players that could make a big impact entering their rookie campaign - starting with Gonzalez.
"Gonzalez comes to the NFL as a shutdown corner from his time at Oregon, where he had to deal with the likes of fellow first-round pick Jordan Addison at USC and other pass-heavy offenses," Bleacher Report writes. "New England is counting on the former Ducks star and the rest of its young secondary to be a strength of the defense in a division where covering the pass is imperative."
But outside of its first-round pick, who else will emerge for New England as potential Day 1 starters?
In the AFC East, a division now with Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa and Josh Allen as quarterbacks, the Patriots will rely heavily on their defense to slow down these high-powered offenses, including second-round edge Keion White.
"The Patriots need a strong and deep pass rush to counter whatever those opposing offenses put out," Bleacher Report writes. "They are not going to stop those quarterbacks on every play, but if they contain their production and make them shift in the pocket, it could play to the team's advantage.
"The Patriots need some of that pass-rushing ability to translate to the NFL so they can put the AFC East on notice as an improved contender."
And finally, a surprise selection following a trade up in the fourth round could end up being New England's long-term option at kicker - Maryland product Chad Ryland.
Says Bleacher Report:
"Ryland's accuracy is not an issue, and if he performs well in training camp, he should beat out [Nick Folk] for the starting kicker job. Ryland needs to beat Folk in the distance competitions to earn the kicker job, and that must translate to the regular season, especially if the Patriots offense fails to get going right away behind Mac Jones."
The Patriots look to improve up their 8-9 campaign a season ago.
Follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard
Follow Patriots Country on Twitter and Facebook
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Patriots? Click Here
More Patriots coverage from Sports Illustrated here.
