The Patriots aren’t yet in a spot during their rebuild where they have scores of starting-level players scratching and clawing for spots atop their respective depth charts.
But there will be camp battles nonetheless. Across all positions. At all levels of the roster.
On the eve of training camp, here are some of the most intriguing…
Big back: Rhamondre Stevenson vs. Antonio Gibson
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images Rhamondre Stevenson will look to take better care of the football after fumbling seven times last season.
Josh McDaniels has used committee backfields in the past. And 2025 may be no different for him. Stevenson could play the traditional “big back” role. Gibson could be the do-it-all runner. Meanwhile, rookie second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson looks like a dynamic “sub back” for the McDaniels system.
But the Patriots taking Henderson in the second round — adding him to a roster starved for offensive talent — suggests he could be more than the handful-of-touches-per-game type whose role is limited to third-down situations. If he gets a greater share of the pie than, say, James White did under McDaniels years ago… then what happens with the two sturdier backs on the roster?
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Last season, thanks to seven fumbles, Stevenson had a rocky year. It was Gibson who was more efficient on a per-touch basis. Is there any chance — particularly if Stevenson continues to put the ball on the ground — that Gibson might take on a greater workload?
Stevenson’s talent should get him on the field and keep him there, but 2022 was the last time Stevenson could definitively claim he was the most productive back in New England.
It’ll be interesting to see exactly how McDaniels and head coach Mike Vrabel opt to use their three primary options out of the backfield.
Starting center: Jared Wilson vs. Garrett Bradbury
Though the Patriots’ offensive line has experienced an overhaul this offseason, questions continue to hover over that all-important collection of behemoths. The most pressing: Who will be the center?
Bradbury looks like the lead candidate at this stage. The veteran has all kinds of experience that should help Drake Maye at the line of scrimmage as long as he can learn the rules of McDaniels’ offense.
It’s Wilson, though, who carries more promise. The third-round pick out of Georgia looks like the center of the future in Foxboro. But he could end up being the center for this season if the same issues that got Bradbury released in Minnesota crop up in his first camp with the Patriots.
Full game highlights of Jared Wilson, a center out of Georgia, who the Patriots selected with the 95th pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
While Wilson would be pairing a rookie’s set of eyes with a second-year quarterback — perhaps leading to challenging situations pre-snap for the Patriots — he might be a better fit for McDaniels’ scheme.
Bradbury is an undersized center who has played in an offense that has leaned toward zone running schemes, which requires athletic linemen. With big-bodied blockers like Morgan Moses, Will Campbell and Mike Onwenu up front, McDaniels might want to overwhelm opponents with power on early downs, which could make Bradbury somewhat of an odd fit scheme-wise.
Most impressive rookie wide receiver: Kyle Williams vs. Efton Chism III
Phil Perry provides the latest on undrafted rookie wide receiver Efton Chism on a new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast.
After just about every spring practice that was open to the media, there were two rookie wideouts who were last on the field to head back to the locker room: Williams and Chism.
They’ll play very different roles as pros; Williams has the speed of an “X” receiver, whereas Chism looks like more of a traditional quicker-than-fast slot option. The “battle” here, though, will be over which rookie ends up impressing more.
It was tight during the spring. Williams made a few down-the-field catches, but Chism — especially when given the opportunity to work with Maye — was consistently open in short areas and appeared to catch everything thrown his way.
The battle at the bottom of the receiver depth chart will be fascinating. Right now it seems as though there are four locks (when healthy): Stefon Diggs, DeMario “Pop” Douglas, Williams and Mack Hollins (who is beginning camp on PUP). Kayshon Boutte looks like a good bet to make the club given his usage in the spring as well. Then there are three wideouts who could be competing for one or two spots: Chism, Ja’Lynn Polk and Kendrick Bourne.
Bourne could have an inside track on a role based on his experience with McDaniels in 2021 and Maye last season. Polk, meanwhile, was one of Eliot Wolf’s first draft picks — a second-rounder in 2024 — which could encourage the team to give him a little more runway to get himself established.
But Chism could end up earning himself a gig if he can build on the momentum he generated in the spring.
Nickel defensive back: Craig Woodson vs. Marcus Jones
Highlights from the Patriots’ fourth-round pick S Craig Woodson out of California
Two young defensive backs. Two different body types. Two versatile skill sets. There may end up being no wrong answer here for Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be competition.
Jones is a feisty slot corner with an undersized frame (5-foot-8, 188 pounds) but a thirst for contact. He’s a solid matchup option for the pair of small-but-blindingly-fast receivers currently residing in South Florida in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He also has the versatility to play some outside corner and perhaps even some safety if needed.
Woodson, on the other hand, is more safety than corner. He’s bigger than Jones (6-feet, 200 pounds) and would be a better choice to run with tight ends. He also looks like a modern-day nickel in that this is a league that is trending more and more toward using tight ends and showing more of an affinity for running the football. Having safeties like Woodson, Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger is a necessity.
The only question for Vrabel and Williams is whether or not they’d prefer to trot out a third safety in a “big nickel” package, or if they’d more often rather go with a third corner like Jones.
That choice could be predicated on the offensive personnel grouping they’re tasked with defending. But watching how both these players perform in camp could also shape how they’re used come the fall.
