Pads Come on, Players Shine

PHOTO: Patriots Nation/Facebook/ClutchPoints

The New England Patriots put the pads on about a week ago to officially begin real football.

Head coach Mike Vrabel warned media members that the true showing comes when the pads are put on.

With the team having several practices under their belt, it is clear that there were no lies told by Coach Vrabel.

Jared Wilson

After a disastrous past couple of years for the Patriots’ offensive line, the team desperately needed someone to show signs of hope. Jared Wilson has done just that up to this point. The third-round pick out of Georgia has consistently put his athletic skillset on full display despite missing a good majority of the spring. In one-on-ones, he has taken on Christian Barmore as well as Milton Williams and won multiple reps. The work he’s put in has paid dividends, earning him first-team reps at left guard, which was initially a position of concern in the spring.

As long as Jared Wilson keeps up what he is doing, the starting left guard spot could be his. There is no question that he is one of the best five offensive linemen that the team has.

K’Lavon Chaisson

On the defensive side, the team has not had a consistent pass rush since Matthew Judon racked up 15.5 sacks in 2022. This could be the year that the tide finally turns. At the helm of the unit are Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, but the emphasis here is on two edge guys.

K’Lavon Chaisson is coming off his best year in 2024, and he’s only 26 years old. Since camp began, he’s been consistently getting sacks day in and day out. He’s even racked up multiple sacks against Will Campbell in one practice. Though he’s got a ways to go as a run defender, he can immediately add value to this front as a pass-rusher.

Keion White

Another name to take note of after the padded practices so far is Keion White, entering his third year in the league. He’s consistently shown improvement since his rookie season, but things seem to be trending even higher for year three. White has been able to receive veteran guidance from Harold Landry who has had his fair share of success throughout his career.

Defense coordinator Terrell Williams previously coached defensive linemen in Tennessee and Detroit, allowing him to specialize in maximizing a variety of rushers before becoming the Patriots’ defensive coordinator, which not only helps Keion but also helps all the defensive linemen. As a result of all this fruitful guidance, White has shone through the padded practices up to this point.

Though these aren’t the only players that have stood out during training camp, these players prompted more emphasis as there is an expectation of someone in the trenches to shine when pads come on.

Coach Vrabel reiterates that games are won in the trenches, so this could be a good sign.

As joint practice begins and the team preps for their first pre-season game, be on the lookout for some other players to fully display their skillset.

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