Resetting Patriots' Depth Chart With 2023 Draft Class Now Aboard
Between their unusually large 2023 NFL Draft class and their modest crop of undrafted free agents, the New England Patriots added a total of 15 new players to their 90-man roster over the weekend.
How will those new rookies fit in? Are any poised for prominent roles?
With the Patriots set to hold their first full-squad spring practice in less than three weeks, here’s an early (and unofficial) look at their depth chart:
Quarterback: Mac Jones
Reserves: Bailey Zappe, Trace McSorley, Malik Cunningham
We could see a real QB competition this summer, but Jones losing his starting job to Zappe would be a surprise. The 2021 first-rounder should improve in Year 3 under new coordinator Bill O’Brien. Further down the depth chart, the Patriots guaranteed Cunningham a lot of money for an undrafted rookie. The Louisville product is undersized but ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and reportedly is open to changing positions to stick in the NFL.
Running back: Rhamondre Stevenson
Reserves: James Robinson, Pierre Strong, Ty Montgomery, Kevin Harris, J.J. Taylor
Stevenson established himself last season as one of the league’s best dual-threat backs. But what will the Patriots’ backfield look like behind him? Can newcomer Robinson, who was quiet last season in his return from a torn Achilles, recapture his pre-injury form? He rushed for 1,070 yards as a rookie in 2020 and caught 80 passes over his first two seasons. Can Strong become the James White successor he was pegged as after last year’s draft? Does Montgomery have anything left after missing nearly all of last season with an injury? Could New England still sign one of the various recognizable veterans lingering in free agency (Leonard Fournette, Ezekiel Elliott, Kareem Hunt, etc.)?
Source: NESN
