Ja'Whaun Bentley is primed to take big step forward in 2019

Don't be surprised when linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley's name is called many times this Thursday night. With a year in the books, the 2nd-year LB is set to light up the 2019 preseason and beyond despite an injury-ridden rookie season.

At this time last year, it was 5th round pick Ja'Whaun Bentley who was stealing the show on defense for the New England Patriots in training camp and surprised everyone who watched him.

Bentley finished the 2018 Week 1 preseason opener vs. the Washington Redskins with six tackles, two tackles for loss, while also calling defensive plays in the huddle and finished tied for 4th on the defense in snaps. His strong play continued on, which lead to him starting in the regular season-opener against the Houston Texans. 

However, his season came crashing to a halt after Week 3 vs. the Detroit Lions when he suffered a torn bicep that landed him on Injured Reserve for the remainder of the season. 

Though Bentley didn't get to grow as a player on the field all of last season, that doesn't mean his ability to take a step forward in Year 2 is impossible.

"(Ja'Whaun Bentley) is a young player but he's very smart. He's definitely been a sponge," linebacker Dont'a Hightower told the media after Tuesday's joint practice with the Lions. "All of last year he wasn't one of the guys that went home or whatever. He stayed around, was in on all of the meetings, taking notes and stuff."

With the addition of Jamie Collins this offseason, it was tough to interpret how his presence would shake up the entire linebacker corps. Would Collins play on the inside? Would he be more of an edge presence? Is he just a rotational piece? 

What we do know is that Collins, Hightower and Kyle Van Noy have seniority in the manner, and that means a lot when playing within a Patriots scheme. Understanding the playbook is the toughest task in New England, so having a better understanding of it will give any player the leg up in any positional competition. 

But the increased competition hasn't stopped Bentley from taking his situation head-on; he has continued to shine this training camp, and his brain is what has his teammates, specifically Hightower appreciative of what the former Purdue LB brings to New England's defense. 

Bentley used his rookie season as a learning experience by watching the games live and on tape with him teammates, breaking down each play and getting mental reps out of the imagery. Though the game of football involves a lot of physicality, knowing where to be on any given play can make the mental aspect of the game just as important. 

"Having guys like (Bentley) around only helps not just our linebacker room, but the defense as well," Hightower said. "Having a guy like that who knows the defense pretty well and is able to talk and help guys get lined up and make adjustments." 

So, when Bentley's name is called on numerous occasions during their preseason opener vs. Detroit this Thursday night; don't be surprised. Bentley is simply picking up where he left off last season; he will be the brains in the middle of the defense, dissecting what the offense is doing while also providing youth and athleticism on a defense that needs it. But this time, he will be doing it with a year of mental preparation under his belt.