FOXBORO – As the Patriots play their final preseason game on Sunday, we want to highlight a few players who deserve your attention.
These are players whose role or roster spot (or both) is at stake and whose fate could be affected by the outcome of the match in Washington DC against the Commanders.
Drake Maye, quarterback
Can the No. 3 overall rookie really win the Week 1 starting spot on Sunday? Probably not. But he could accelerate his rise up the rankings with another impressive exhibition performance.
What will be particularly notable is how he handles pressure, because according to what offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt told reporters this week, Jacoby Brissett is clearly ahead of the 21-year-old in that area. But if Maye can close that gap a little bit — while continuing to display the impressive physical traits that made him a top first-round pick — then he’ll be taking over sooner rather than later.
Alex Van Pelt reiterates that Jacoby Brissett is the Patriots’ starting quarterback, but Maye still has a chance to secure that spot.
Ja’Lynn Polk, wide receiver
One might wonder if Polk will receive the same treatment at receiver as Drake Maye. The Patriots are clearly taking a patient, evolving approach at quarterback. Could the same be true at wide receiver?
Polk looked like the team’s best and most reliable receiver at times this summer. He finished training camp as arguably the second-best player at the position behind DeMario Douglas. But he doesn’t have the speed of Tyquan Thornton. And he doesn’t have the experience of KJ Osborn. Both players are regular starters ahead of Polk.
Can a big night from Polk on Sunday – or a less than impressive night from one of the veterans ahead of him – ultimately propel the second-round rookie into the starting lineup?
JaMycal Hasty, running back
The Patriots could end up keeping four running backs. Kevin Harris has looked like the likely No. 3 for most of the summer, and his power between the tackles would be of real value in a run-heavy offense.
But Hasty has skills as a pass receiver that Harris doesn’t, and his agility in the open field could help the Patriots achieve one of their offensive goals: becoming the NFL’s best screen team.
If Eliot Wolf only wants three running backs on his 53-man roster and the underperforming Hasty has a standout night against the Commanders, he might be the right choice. The back end of the running back depth chart is difficult to gauge right now.
Nick Leverett, center
The Patriots’ backup center doesn’t seem to be on the most solid ground when it comes to his position at that particular position. He is valuable as a veteran backup inside linebacker and should be included on the initial 53-man roster. But that doesn’t mean the Patriots aren’t looking to replace David Andrews.
There have been issues with the transition between center and quarterback all summer, and if there are another slip-up or two this weekend, the Patriots may need to be more aggressive in ensuring more reliability in the depth behind Andrews.
One could argue that Andrews is the most irreplaceable player on the roster right now. It would be a surprise if he played Sunday, given the importance of his health to the rest of the offense.
Layden Robinson, offensive guard
The fourth-round rookie from Texas A&M has played with the Patriots’ top offense in the final days of practice this week, helping the team make up for the loss of Vederian Lowe, who left Wednesday’s session due to injury.
The line looked good with Robinson, who has been one of the team’s most impressive rookies this summer and doesn’t look out of place at right guard between Andrews at center and Mike Onwenu at right tackle.
“Physically, this guy is so damn strong,” teammate Sidy Sow said on Froday. “I was like, ‘What the hell?’ I wish I could do some of those things.”
Could Robinson solidify his spot as the starter with a good game on Sunday? There’s a chance the Patriots decide to have him in the lineup with Onwenu at right tackle and Chukwuma Okorafor at left tackle, which is their best five.
Dell Pettus, Security
This may be the team’s best chance to add a non-drafted free agent to the initial 53-man roster. Pettus concluded this week’s workouts by spending some time with top defenders — something that has happened to him sporadically throughout training camp.
“He’s done a fantastic job,” Jerod Mayo said Friday. “There’s been a lot of talk about him, but he’s done a fantastic job so far. But it’s important for these guys to go out here and realize, ‘I can play at this level.’ There’s always that imposter syndrome where you ask yourself, ‘Am I good enough or am I not good enough?’ For a guy like Dell Pettus, for example, it boosts his confidence when he goes out there and makes those plays.”
Pettus is one of several defensive players who appear to still be competing for a job, including safety Josh Bledsoe, cornerbacks Shaun Wade and Isaiah Bolden and linebacker Joe Giles-Harris.
