by Drake Maye and a number of other Patriots starters are likely to miss Thursday night’s New England preseason finale against the Giants.
However, that does not imply that a number of other players on the New England roster will be without a role in Thursday’s game at MetLife Stadium.
Several Patriots will try to play themselves off the roster bubble against the Giants, as NFL teams must reduce their roster to 53 players by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
These seven players are worth keeping an eye on during the Patriots’ last preseason game.
WR Javon Baker
Efton Chism appears to have won a spot on New England’s 53-man roster after recording six receptions and a touchdown in Saturday’s preseason victory over the Vikings.
Now that Chism is on the team, six wide receivers—Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins—are probably roster locks for Week 1.
But will New England have seven pass-catchers to start the season? It may rely on Baker’s performance on Thursday as a second-year pro.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Baker flew to New Jersey with the Patriots despite not practicing on Monday or Tuesday, which may indicate that he will play on Thursday.
With Mike Vrabel applauding the wideout’s desire to buy in and contribute in ways other than just hauling in catches, Baker’s profile as a boundary receiver who can also play on special teams might increase his worth.
However, Baker will need to finish his preseason schedule strongly in order to earn a spot on the 53-man roster after failing to record a reception on his first six targets on Saturday and a false-start penalty that hampered New England in the red zone.
RB JaMycal Hasty
With rookie TreVeyon Henderson looking like a possible breakthrough contender with Antonio Gibson and Rhamondre Stevenson, running back appears to be a strength in New England.
But may New England choose to add a fourth running back in order to add depth at that position? Hasty, a 28-year-old back who ran for 47 yards off 11 attempts on Saturday against the Vikings, is probably the next player up on the depth chart.
C/G Cole Strange
Strange appears to be in danger of losing a position on the New England roster as Ben Brown’s reputation as a possible starting center or left guard continues to grow.
Although the 2022 first-round selection is versatile enough to play both center and left guard, his preseason play and training camp performances have been wildly inconsistent thus far. In addition to his impressive performance against New York on Thursday, Strange’s future in New England may hinge on the performance of the men in front of him on the depth chart.
Strange might be kept on as a backup for an offensive line that has many unanswered questions if youngster Jared Wilson keeps struggling.
On Thursday, there will be other offensive linemen vying for a spot on the roster besides Strange. He’s probably vying for a roster berth with Sidy Sow and Caedan Wallace, two other interior linemen. In addition, New England needs to find a swing tackle other than rookie Marcus Bryant, which may mean Vederian Lowe or Demontrey Jacobs.
K Andy Borregales
The main event to watch on Thursday might be the ongoing kicker fight between youngster Andy Borregales and John Parker Romo.
Romo has obviously had a better summer thus far, even though Borregales may have a greater potential than Romo.
According to Mark Daniels of MassLive, Borregales is currently shooting 85.7 percent of his field goals (42-of-49) this summer, while Romeo has made 90.1 percent of his tries (38-of-42).
The rookie will need to perform well on Thursday (and get a few passes from Romo) in order to secure a starting position, as Patriots special teams coordinator Jeremy Springe acknowledged earlier this month that Borregales’ draft status (sixth round, 2025 NFL Draft) won’t have any bearing on who wins the kicker battle.
S Kyle Dugger
In the last days of the preseason, Dugger, a previous mainstay in the New England secondary, seemed like a possible cut or trade candidate. No player has seen his stock fall more than Dugger in recent months.
The 29-year-old safety has mostly played for New England’s scout team or second team in recent days, which is concerning even though defensive coordinator Terrell Williams stated on Tuesday that Dugger still fits on the team.
Regarding Kyle Dugger and Anfernee Jennings, #Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams said: “There is no depth chart.” They’re fits, of course. They play hard. They engage in physical play.EZqmAAvCH3 @Pats_Radiopic.twitter.com
On Saturday, New England defeated Minnesota 20–12 thanks to an interception that Dugger recorded.
However, the fact that the safety was playing in the last seconds of the fourth quarter did not bode well. Dugger may still be useful as a run-stuffing, athletic safety, but his style of play could not mesh well with the defensive unit that Vrabel and Williams are trying to restructure.
Perhaps if Dugger wins on Thursday night, that opinion will shift.
EDGE Anfernee Jennings
Similar to Dugger, it appears that Jennings, a veteran, was still playing in the last minutes of Saturday’s victory over Minnesota. Jennings, however, has not allowed his unstable position on the roster bubble to detract from his on-field performance; against the Vikings, he recorded three sacks.
Given his short playing time on Vrabel and Williams defense, Jennings’ fit may be more important than his performance.A solid performance by the pass rusher on Thursday would justify another team’s decision to take Jennings away from New England, especially if it results in a larger role going ahead, as trade whispers encircle both Jennings and Dugger.
S/LB Marte Mapu
Following anticipated roster locks in Jack Gibbens, Christian Elliss, and Robert Spillane, the fourth linebacker position on New England’s roster may become available. Despite being the clear favorite at the moment, Jahlani Tavai has been severely limited since the beginning of camp due to a persistent injury.
If Tavai ends the preseason strong, a player like Mapu might leapfrog him. The safety/linebacker hybrid could be useful to Vrabel and Williams as a versatile player who can also help on special teams. However, the 2023 third-round selection hasn’t given anyone much hope this summer.
Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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