Three Patriots players that helped their case during joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles

The practice fields at Gillette Stadium were buzzing on Tuesday as the New England Patriots welcomed the Philadelphia Eagles for a joint practice.

Both teams came out ready to compete, and it showcased areas where the Patriots look solid, while also highlighting areas that need a lot of improvement.

But throughout practice, a few players really stood out, taking advantage of this opportunity. And because of that, they really helped their case as the start of the regular season gets closer.

1. Ja'Lynn Polk

The rookie has been a solid addition to the Patriots receiver room this offseason, and throughout camp, he has proven to be a reliable weapon.

Polk has been earning each and every rep he gets during practices, but as time has gone on, one thing is clear: he should be a starter.

Specifically, on Tuesday, he made one impressive catch that further proved this point.

Drake Maye threw a perfectly placed ball to Polk, who made the diving catch over Eagles' Shon Stephens to grab it. And it was such a nice play that the rookie had to celebrate a little bit after.

This is just the beginning for Polk, so let's see what else he has up his sleeve this season

2. Marcellas Dial Jr.

With numerous cornerbacks sidelined, it has left plenty of opportunities for some of the younger guys in the room. And that includes rookie Marcellas Dial Jr., who was the only defensive player the Patriots picked in this year's draft.

Dial had two impressive plays during practice, one of which included the tough task of having to go up against Eagles star receiver DeVonta Smith during 1-on-1s. But the cornerback's coverage left no room for Smith to get around and get to the ball.

He then had a nice pass breakup on Eagles receiver Austin Watkins during 7-on-7.

With all the talk of depth in the cornerback room, Dial is proving he has the skills to compete with the best of them.

3. Raekwon McMillan

Joint practices mean increased physicality and McMIllan took that to heart when he came out on the field. While the Eagles weren't thrilled with this one particular play, McMillan was doing what he needed to. He knew that he needed to go out there and prove himself after dealing with injuries the past three seasons.

The linebacker knocked down an Eagles player during a kickoff period who then fell onto Isaiah Rodgers, who was returning the kick. Because of this, Rodgers fumbled and JaMycal Hasty picked it up. In a game, it probably would have resulted in a touchdown for the Patriots.