5 Patriots to watch heading into training camp

The Patriots open their most unique training camp of the 21st century when veterans report on Tuesday. Gone are Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and many of the pillars that made them the most successful organization in sports over the past two decades. Expectations for first-year head coach Jerod Mayo’s squad are all over the place, but many are low. The Patriots are young and looking to turn the page on the dynasty and build a future of their own. With that in mind, here are five players to watch closely heading into training camp.

Drake Maye

Maye is on this list for obvious reasons. New England used the third overall pick to select Maye, a quarterback out of North Carolina, in hopes that he will lead the franchise back to prominence. All he has to do is carry on the legacy of Tom Brady and make up for the failed pick of Mac Jones. So, no big deal, right?

Maye will have an opportunity to battle for the starting job in training camp, though it would not be a surprise if he begins the season as the number two quarterback behind Jacoby Brissett. In Maye, the Patriots have a 6-foot-4, 225-pound signal caller who threw for 4,321 yards two seasons ago and had a PFF grade over 90 each of the past two seasons. He has the potential to be a high-end starting quarterback. Maye has things to work on, however, such as his footwork and spending the correct amount of time going through his progressions. He also needs to adjust to NFL speed and the complexity of the playbook. Th quicker he does these things, the more he will see the field.

Chukwuna Okorafor

Besides quarterback, the biggest question on the Patriots roster this offseason was left tackle. Instead of signing or drafting a traditional left tackle, New England signed Okorafor from Pittsburgh and drafted Caedan Wallace from Penn State. Wallace played over 2,200 snaps at right tackle in college, but did not play on the left side aside from some work there at the Shrine Bowl. Okorafor is a six-year NFL veteran who has extensive experience at right tackle, but has only played a total of two snaps at left tackle in his career. While playing right tackle for the Steelers, Okorafor was mostly below average. It’s a risky setup for the Patriots, but they believe that at least one of Wallace or Okorafor will emerge as a starting left tackle. If it works, they’ll be in good shape on their offensive line. If it doesn’t, we’ll be lamenting their lack of aggressiveness at the position this offseason all year.

Christian Gonzalez

The Patriots used a first-round pick on Gonzalez in 2023 and he immediately proved to be worth it before getting injured a month into the season. In four games with the Patriots, Gonzalez had 17 tackles, one sack, one interception and three passes broken up. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds with 32-inch arms, Gonzalez gives the Patriots a length and man-press ability against big receivers that is extremely valuable. The advanced numbers also make a strong case for Gonzalez, including an 80.8 overall grade and a coverage grade of 91.6 in the Patriots’ Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins’ elite receiving corps. After being targeted 10 times in Week 1, Gonzalez was only targeted 12 times total the next two games combined and allowed eight catches for 77 yards while breaking up one pass and intercepting another. Had he continued to play at that level, the 80.8 grade would have ranked 13th in the NFL. Great work for a rookie. If Gonzalez is healthy and back to form, the Patriots’ defense can be elite.

Sidy Sow

Sow had some struggles at right guard during the first half of the season, but came on strong towards the end. His PFF grade of 64.4 for the season put him 27th among all guards, which is certainly respectable for a rookie. More impressively, he had two games graded over 80 in the final month. If Sow can maintain his play from the second half of the season, the Patriots will be in great shape on the right side of their offensive line with David Andrews at center (good for both sides), Sow at right guard and Mike Onwenu at right tackle. However, if he has a sophomore slump and looks more like the first half of his rookie year, the Patriots will have another major question on their offensive line.

Keion White

The Patriots surprised many when they took White in the second round of the 2023 draft instead of a receiver or offensive tackle. While it’s still fair to criticize the positional choice, White immediately showed that he has the potential to terrorize opposing offenses. Playing behind Matt Judon, Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche, White’s time was initially limited, but his snaps increased as the season went on. His rookie campaign was not consistent enough, but at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, he has the right mix of size, power, and speed to be a great edge player. His 9.91 Relative Athletic Score coming into the draft was the 14th best of all defensive linemen measured since 1987. White only had one sack as a rookie, but he had 15 quarterback hurries, which was fifth best on the Patriots. With contract uncertainty for Judon, White will have a chance to increase his snap counts this season. If he can be more consistent and turn some of those hurries into sacks, the Patriots defense will have another chess piece to use in their vaunted defensive front.

BONUS: Jerod Mayo

Normally, the head coach is not someone that would be included here, but in Mayo’s case it’s worth it. How will he run his program? What will training camp look like? How will his offensive, defensive, and special teams systems differ from Bill Belichick? How will his approach to roster management look? These are all massive questions that Mayo will begin to answer next week.