4 must-watch positional battles at Patriots training camp this week

The New England Patriots , after a month off away from the facilities, have reconvened at Gillette Stadium for their training camp sessions starting on Wednesday.

As the team works for the next month, some players will move up and down the depth chart depending on how they perform compared to their teammates.

With the work starting, let's take a quick look at some of the most interesting battles that will take place throughout the end of July and into August.

Quarterback

The most important position on the football field is an open competition for New England this season despite head coach Jerod Mayo saying that it's currently Jacoby Brissett's job.

Brissett will have to hold off third-overall draft pick Drake Maye, returning backup Bailey Zappe and sixth-round pick Joe Milton III.

Brissett's experience in the system and as a starter in the league gives him a leg up on the others, but there's a real chance that he gets pushed for the job as things progress.

Wide Receiver

The Patriots have a good mix of returning and new players in the wide receiver room, but the hierarchy on the depth chart appears to be completely open.

With Kendrick Bourne, who would presumably be near the top this year, starting on active/PUP , more opportunities will open up for rookie draft picks Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker to earn significant roles within the offense.

Veterans like Tyquan Thornton and JuJu Smith-Schuster could be in danger of losing their spots on the roster if they don't perform well over the next month, making this battle arguably the most intriguing.

Offensive tackle(s)

New England let 2023 left tackle Trent Brown leave in free agency and re-signed 2023 right tackle Mike Onwenu to a massive extension.

They then signed Chukwuma Okorafor, a right tackle from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and drafted Caedan Wallace, a right tackle from Penn State, with the intention that they'd compete for the left tackle spot.

However, through organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp, the line was mixed up a bit with Onwenu kicking back inside to guard.

Two people will have to man the positions in Week 1, and the coaching staff will have to figure out which two are best fit for the task.

Kicker

The Patriots drafted Chad Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 draft out of Maryland, and he was statically the worst kicker in football last season.

In 17 games, he finished 16-of-25 (64%) on field goal attempts and 24-of-25 (96%) on extra points.

This offseason, they signed veteran kicker Joey Slye (82.3% on field goals in his career).

While the kicker position often gets overlooked, Mayo's team will need to have some reliable out there to attempt these kicks, and this competition should help them find someone.