Week 1 of preseason reminded us why WR Braxton Berrios should be pegged as Julian Edelman's heir

The 2019 preseason isn't just an opportunity to see how this year's draft class can transition to the NFL, but it's also a chance to see how the New England Patriots' 2018 class, who for the most part were injured last season, can play when they are healthy.

Aside from Ja'Whaun Bentley and Sony Michel, New England wasn't really sure what they had in some of their 2018 rookies, which included guys like Isaiah Wynn, Duke Dawson, Ryan Izzo and Christian Sam. That was no different for wide receiver Braxton Berrios, who the Patriots drafted in in the 6th round last April.

The former Miami wideout fits the build for the prototypical slot receiver that you would find in New England over the past decade. Short, shifty and willing to take a hit if it meant coming down with the ball and moving the chains. But just like some of his fellow teammates who were drafted alongside him, Berrios wasn't able to display his ability very much in 2018 because of an injury that landed him on IR when the regular season began.

Whether Berrios would have actually made the 53-man-roster last season is still up for debate. There's a reason that he fell to the 6th round of the draft, and some of his inefficiencies were displayed in training camp and in the preseason last year. Now, a year later, it seems that Berrios is primed to replace the Super Bowl LIII MVP when he decides to call it a career.

Braxton Berrios on 4th & 2. Nice return route. Sold the in. Good plant/quickness out of his break to convert. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/hXgbfdSlO4
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) August 9, 2019

Against the Detroit Lions in the preseason opener, Berrios was the starting punt returner, taking four of them for 35 yards. He also was tied for second on the team in receptions (3) and had the second-most receiving yards on the team (45). Though his stat line is nothing to write home about, it is very telling of what he's been able to accomplish so far in training camp.

Braxton Berrios ran some great routes. Stretch release to get the CB thinking about an outside move. Throttles down and gets into the top of the route without giving away the break. Little head fake at the top and holds the angle across the field. Nice cut for some YAC. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/NcM8pMtHGr
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 9, 2019

Though Berrios had his fair share of nice catches during camp, his biggest struggle was creating separation to give his quarterback an open target. That's something that can't happen if you're trying to make the team as a slot receiver; being that player on the field makes you the security blanket in passing situations, especially now that Rob Gronkowski's large frame is no longer available in the middle of the field.

But when joint practices began last week with the Lions, Berrios proved that progress was still being made on his front and that he is still one of the wideouts on the roster that deserves to stay in New England in 2019.

"Receiving a ton of opportunity with Julian Edelman sidelined, second-year slot man Braxton Berrios is making progress," wrote The Boston Herald's Kevin Duffy after last Tuesday's joint practice. "Berrios caught back-to-back touchdowns in goal line 11-on-11 work, beating former Pats cornerback Justin Coleman on the first."

Berrios' performance Thursday night was not a complete surprise by those who have been watching the 2nd-year wideout's development during training camp. It's also worth mentioning that Berrios' strong start to the preseason should be taken with a grain of salt, as the Lions struggled mightily in all phases in that game, not to mention it was only the first game of the preseason for both teams.

But nonetheless, Berrios has begun to carve out a role in the Patriots offense.

At 33-years-old, Edelman's career is coming closer to an end, which means it's time for someone else on the roster to step up and prove they can be the next man for the job. When Wes Welker left New England via free agency in 2013, it was Edelman who took over his role within the offense. Now, it could be Berrios that is handed the reigns next.

Much improvement is needed over the next three weeks just to prove he should make the 53-man-roster. However, his performance over the first two weeks of the 2019 season have foreshadowed what should be continued progression and a spot on the regular season roster.

"I think (Berrios') improvement has come from his training, understanding the offense, and timing work with the quarterbacks," head coach Bill Belichick told the media during a conference call on Friday. "Those are things that he didn't have as much of an opportunity to do last year, especially early in the season, in training camp, and then later on he was able to train more. But, he still wasn't able to work with the team, so this year he's been able to do all of those and there's no question that that's helped him, and helped our team."

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