The ramp-up to the 2026 season begins in earnest this week.
The New England Patriots will hold their first practice of organized team activities (OTAs) on Wednesday on the grass fields outside Gillette Stadium. They’ll have another OTA session on Friday, then six more in early June (June 1-2, June 4, June 8-9 and June 11) before beginning mandatory minicamp on June 15.
Before the action begins, here’s our first stab at a 53-man roster for the 2026 Patriots, which factors in a certain high-profile wide receiver who could be joining the team shortly.
Quarterback (2): Drake Maye, Tommy DeVito
It’ll be fascinating to see throughout the course of OTAs just how much more is put on Drake Maye’s plate this season. How much of the controls are placed in his hands at the line of scrimmage before the snap?
These practices in May and June could provide us our first glimpses of how he’s grown within Josh McDaniels’ system.
Running back (4): Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Jam Miller, Myles Montgomery
Terrell Jennings is a respected No. 3 back in the building. He can get hard yards, he’s a willing pass protector, and he can play in the kicking game. But he also has an injury history that could make his spot a tenuous one.
These OTA sessions could be big for rookie backs like Miller and Montgomery (an undrafted free agent) to show they can contribute as depth behind Stevenson and Henderson.
Wide receiver (6): A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Kyle Williams, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III
This room is crowded. It’ll be especially so if and when Brown is acquired. Kayshon Boutte is the odd man out in this projection.
Perhaps the Patriots will be able to move him at some point if there’s a team out there that is looking to add prior to the season. But he hasn’t been a regular at OTAs, and it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the league views him based on the return he nets New England if traded.
Tight end (5): Hunter Henry, Julian Hill, Eli Raridon, Reggie Gilliam, Jack Westover
If the Patriots are going to rely on a fullback, do they also need a backup fullback in case something were to happen to the starter? They may be able to get away with Reggie Gilliam insurance on the practice squad, but in this scenario Westover is back with the 53.
How much run Raridon gets in OTAs is worth watching. If the Patriots want to utilize some 13 personnel groupings (three tight ends, one back), do we get a glimpse of those now?
Offensive line (9): Will Campbell, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jared Wilson, Mike Onwenu, Morgan Moses, Ben Brown, Caleb Lomu, Demetrious Crownover, Caedan Wallace
All eyes will be on Campbell this spring, but this really isn’t the time to assess offensive line play. Still, we’ll watch how these players are grouped, and Campbell is expected to be the guy at left tackle.
Brown looks like the super sub on the interior. Lomu and Crownover could get some early reps, as the Patriots will likely want to manage Moses’ workload as they did throughout last year.
Special teams (3): Andy Borregales, Bryce Baringer, Julian Ashby
No changes here. Until further notice, this looks like the group that will be back for 2026.
Defensive line (5): Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Cory Durden, Joshua Farmer, Leonard Taylor
Plenty of familiar faces with this group, led by the veteran duo of Williams and Barmore. There won’t be a whole lot to glean from these shorts-and-tees practices when it comes to this unit, though.
Linebacker (4): Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, K.J. Britt, Namdi Obiazor
Seems like there’s plenty of opportunity here. Can a couple of linebackers help themselves this spring with good performances in the passing game?
Britt has real NFL game experience and Obiazor is an NFL-caliber athlete. But it’s hard to say who will slot in behind Spillane and Elliss.
Outside linebacker/edge (5): Harold Landry, Dre’Mont Jones, Gabe Jacas, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson
The top three slots on the depth chart look spoken for here. After that? There are chances for athletes to stand out in spring practice.
It will be worth watching if Jacas can put his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage on display this time of year. While the pop in his hands won’t have a chance to make headlines until training camp, if he can show some athleticism off the edge, he’ll provide real promise at one of the premium positions that needed real help this offseason.
Cornerback (5): Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Charles Woods, Marcellas Dial
This is a fairly loaded group with veteran contributors. One big question: Can Dial recapture the form he displayed before last year’s season-ending injury?
While he may not have a shot to start given the talent at the top of the depth chart, he could be a valuable reserve and special teams standout if fully healthy.
Safety (5): Kevin Byard, Craig Woodson, Mike Brown, Dell Pettus, Brenden Schooler
How the rotation breaks down here this spring will be worth watching.
Byard and Woodson should look like the starters. But after them, especially if there are packages where Mike Vrabel wants three safeties on the field, who gets the nod?
Brown, who worked with a Vrabel-led staff in Tennessee, potentially could be that guy in his first year in Foxboro.
