Projecting Patriots 53-Man Roster Before Minicamp

The New England Patriots went through several weeks of OTA practices adjacent to Gillette Stadium this offseason, two of them being open to reporters. It gave us a good first glance at the team as a whole, plus some position battles that may be brewing ahead of training camp next month.

It's hard to truly judge those practices, as the contact level was near-zero and was essentially, as head coach Mike Vrabel put it, a passing camp. But plenty of players stood out in shorts, and if we had to make a roster right now, they'd be earning spots on the team.

That's exactly what I'm doing now. The Patriots' first of three mandatory minicamp is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, so here's what I project (at this point) to be the Patriots' 53-man roster for 2026.

If you want to see how my roster predictions have changed throughout the offseason, here's a look at what I had post-draft and pre-OTAs.

QB: Drake Maye, Tommy DeVito, Behren Morton (3)

Dec 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) walks off the field after defeating the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

Nothing changing on this end. Maye continues to lead the quarterbacks in OTA reps, while DeVito has impressed on some throws in 11-on-11s. Morton's fight for playing time with the starting unit continues, but I wouldn't write him off because of it.

RB: Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Lan Larison (3)

I've put down Jam Miller and Terrell Jennings as the backups, but Larison's OTA reps -- which included him being the team's RB3 at times -- won over my support. The second-year back impressed last training camp before a foot injury sidelined him in August. He coul potentially be the true receiving back in this offense.

FB: Reggie Gilliam (1)

The Patriots could potentially have Jack Westover (who converted from TE to FB last summer) as a backup, but because of Julian Hill's season-ending injury and subsequent placement on IR, Westover may be required to switch back to tight end. No one is replacing Gilliam at the top of the depth chart.

WR: AJ Brown, Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III (6)

Jun 2, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) runs after making a catch during the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Bang. Finally trading for Brown gives the Patriots the elite talent they were craving at wideout, and gives Maye a true big-bodied target to throw to all year. Because of that deal though, it feels like Kayshon Boutte is a player about to get traded. As for the slot battle between Douglas and Chism, both have impressed me so far during OTAs and should earn spots together like they did last year.

TE: Hunter Henry, Eli Raridon, Jack Westover (3)

Hill was originally going to be the Patriots' TE2 after signing a three-year deal in free agency. Instead, an injury in practice prematurely ended his season and has the team now scrambling for a third backup. I'm going with Westover, who's the most experienced tight end in that room behind Henry and played in every game last season.

OL: Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, Caleb Lomu, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Mike Onwenu, Jared Wilson, Ben Brown, Dametrious Crownover, Andrew Rupcich, Marcus Bryant (10)

A lot of this group stays the same, but I'm adding in Rupcich has a backup guard/center. The veteran has come out of nowhere and has worked with the top unit as Vera-Tucker remains limited in practice. He looks like a real contender for a job, while Bryant has rotated in as a backup right tackle as well.

DT: Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Cory Durden, Leonard Taylor III, David Blay Jr. (5)

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Cory Durden (94) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Taylor has had three swatted passes in the two practices I've been present for. After making a name for himself last season as a constant practice squad call-up, it looks like Taylor could beat out Joshua Farmer and Eric Gregory for a backup job. I also think that UDFA David Blay -- who hasn't repped with the 1s -- has the talent to do so this summer.

EDGE: Gabe Jacas, Dre'Mont Jones, Harold Landry, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson (5)

It's been hard to truly get a gauge on this unit. Both Jacas and Landry weren't in attendance for the OTA practices, and the players who were on the field weren't able to showcase any true violence off the edge. That's why this group stays the same from the last time I did this. Hopefully, we'll get to see Jacas at mandatory minicamp this week.

LB: Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, Namdi Obiazor (3)

Same goes for the linebackers. I could have put KJ Britt back on here, but he wasn't at the team's final open OTA session and it looked like Obiazor is getting more and more comfortable in the Patriots' defensive system. Once the pads come on, this group will be fun to watch.

CB: Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Karon Prunty, Kindle Vildor, Marcellas Dial (6)

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis III (7) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The top four (Gonzalez, Davis, Jones, Prunty) are all locks to me, even as Gonzalez heads into what appears to be a contract holdout. The two backups I put down -- Vildor and Dial -- are safe plays right now. Vildor has experience with members of New England's defensive coaching staff and has worked as a rotational starter in OTAs. Dial remains limited as he works his way back from a torn ACL, but the upside is there for the special teams star as well. Second-year Kobee Minor is trending upwards, but gets left off.

S: Kevin Byard, Craig Woodson, Mike Brown, Dell Pettus, Brenden Schooler (5)

My last prediction, I left off Pettus because I felt like Brown could replace him on special teams. I then realized that only three safeties (Schooler still remains the special teams captain) is far too thin for a group heading into Week 1. So in goes Pettus, as he'll join the clear and obvious top-two in Byard and Woodson.

K: Andy Borregales (1)

Both of New England's practices that reporters were able to watch were capped off by a field goal session. Borregales was perfect on all the kicks I saw, a positive sign heading into his season season with the Patriots.

P: Bryce Baringer (1)

Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots punter Bryce Baringer (17) punts the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Baringer hasn't gotten a ton of reps during the open OTA practices, but does project to be the starting punter in 2026. Hey, it helps when you're the only guy on the team too.

LS: Julian Ashby (1)

What more can I say? Barring injury, Ashby will remain snapping the ball for his second year.

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