Patriots 53-man roster projection 1.0: Will New England really stick with 7 receivers?

Midway through training camp, things are starting to take shape when it comes to the New England Patriots’ roster and the unenviable task of trimming this group down to an eventual 53-man unit by August 30.​

There’s still plenty of time between now and roster cutdown day for players to make compelling cases for spots on the roster, especially with joint practices and preseason games on the horizon.

But for now, here’s our initial look at New England’s 53-man roster after over two weeks of training camp. ​

Quarterbacks (3)

In: Drake Maye, Tommy DeVito, Behren Morton

Well, no surprise with Drake Maye.

There has been some debate over whether New England will actually roll with three QBs on their roster, rather than trying to sneak a 2026 seventh-round pick like Behren Morton through waivers.

That doesn’t seem like a risk that the Patriots want to take, especially with Morton actually earning a pretty steady dose of reps so far in camp.

New England doesn’t necessarily need to worry about the QB position for the foreseeable future.

But, if they think Morton could eventually develop into a steady backup behind Maye on the depth chart, it might be worth keeping him on the roster for now and letting him marinate.

Running backs (3)

In: Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Terrell Jennings

Out: Jam Miller, Lan Larison, Myles Montgomery

Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson are locks, but things get interesting when it comes to New England’s third running back spot. After getting activated off the non-football injury/illness list this week, Terrell Jennings has slotted right back as New England’s go-to option on the second team offense.

An undrafted running back with pass-catching capabilities and kickoff-return potential like Lan Larison would still add a unique element to New England’s roster. But, the former UC Davis product hasn’t popped so far in camp after turning heads last summer before suffering a season-ending foot injury.

Jennings isn’t flashy, but he’s a physical, hard-nosed back who could also spell a player with a similar profile in Stevenson when called upon this year.

Fullback (1)

In: Reggie Gilliam

New England has eased back on Reggie Gilliam’s workload so far during camp to keep him fresh for the season — a prudent move, given that the veteran seemingly welcomes every opportunity to serve as a human bulldozer out on the field.

After New England received lackluster returns from Jack Westover in a fullback role last season, Gilliam should be a welcome addition as a mauler in New England’s run game.

Wide receivers (6)

In: A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams

Out: Efton Chism, Kyle Dixon, Nick DeGennaro, Cameron Dorner, Tejhaun Palmer, Kobe Prentice

There isn’t a whole lot of clarity with New England’s crowded receiver room so far in camp.

At this point, A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, and DeMario Douglas appear to be locks given their resume, play in camp, and unique skill sets that should help Maye and Josh McDaniels’ offense.

New England could easily get this group down to six if they trade Kayshon Boutte, but the Patriots should take a long look before pulling the trigger on any trade involving Boutte.

Even if the Patriots can recoup some draft capital for the LSU product, they shouldn’t ship out Boutte for pennies on the dollar, given his strong chemistry with Maye and play so far in camp.

Kyle Williams’ stock appears to be slipping after earning some reps on the third-team offense last week. But, Mike Vrabel offered a strong endorsement of the second-year pro on Friday — with New England likely intrigued by Williams’ straight-line speed and big-play capability.

Amid this roster crunch, we have Efton Chism as a player who just misses the cut if New England holds on to Boutte and has to make a move at the 11th hour on Aug. 30.

Tight ends (3)

​In: Hunter Henry, Eli Raridon, Tanner Arkin

Out: CJ Dippre, Mitch Van Vooren, Jack Westover

Losing free-agent pickup Julian Hill to a season-ending injury during OTAs was a brutal break for the Patriots, who were banking on Hill’s punishing blocking game and potential upside as a pass catcher.

But, New England seems to have a pair of rookies who are ready to slot in behind Hunter Henry in Eli Raridon and Tanner Arkin.

Raridon — a 2026 third-round pick — could fill in a similar role as Austin Hooper as an athletic, big-bodied target for Maye, while Arkin has impressed as a physical blocker who should dole out plenty of welts this year alongside someone like Gilliam.

Offensive linemen (9)

In: Will Campbell, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jared Wilson, Mike Onwenu, Morgan Moses, Caleb Lomu, Marcus Bryant, Dametrious Crownover, Ben Brown

Out: Mehki Butler, James Hudson, Lorenz Metz, JonDarius Morgan, Andrew Rupcich, Jacob Rizy, Caedan Wallace

Barring injury, the Patriots should roll out a pretty sturdy five-man unit to protect Maye, with Alijah Vera-Tucker standing as a potential home-run signing if he can avoid the injury bug and anchor the left side of the O-line next to a pair of second-year players in Campbell and Wilson.​

But, New England could run into some major issues if injuries arise, especially for an older veteran like 35-year-old Morgan Moses. First-round pick Caleb Lomu would presumably be the next man up, but he’s had an uneven camp so far.

As such, we have both Marcus Bryant and Dametrious Crownover on the roster — especially with both players standing out so far during 1-on-1 battles. Bryant in particular has looked like a potential NFL contributor, earning reps with the first-team offense in place of Campbell over the last few days.

Depth at guard/center remains an issue, with Ben Brown standing as the most likely option at this stage of the summer — even if he’s had a lackluster camp so far. Considering that Vrabel noted last week that even a tackle in Lomu will get some snaps at guard, it’s pretty clear that New England is looking for more stability at that spot.

Defensive linemen (5)

In: Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Cory Durden, Eric Gregory, Joshua Farmer

Out: Leonard Taylor, Isaiah Iton, Jeremiah Pharms, Casey Rogers

D-line should be an area of strength for this group, especially with Milton Williams and Christian Barmore leading the way in the trenches. Cory Durden is due for a greater role as a replacement for Khyiris Tonga, while Eric Gregory has earned some snaps with the top defensive unit as well.

Leonard Taylor — one of the heroes of New England’s victory over the Broncos in the AFC title game — just misses the cut, with 2025 fourth-round pick Joshua Farmer making a late push after a strong stretch of camp.

Edge rushers (5)

In: Dre’Mont Jones, Harold Landry, Gabe Jacas, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson

Out: Xavier Holmes, Quintayvious Hutchins, Jesse Luketa

There are plenty of question marks rooted in this personnel group after Dre’Mont Jones, due in large part to Harold Landry’s health after opening camp on the PUP list due to a knee injury. If Landry isn’t ready to go in the fall, New England doesn’t exactly have a lot of proven options in place to get after the quarterback.

As such, New England will likely be banking on a trio of youngsters in rookie Gabe Jacas and second-year players in Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson to rise to the occasion.

Linebackers (4)

In: Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, Chad Muma, Khalil Jacobs

Out: K.J. Britt, Namdi Obiazor, Amari Gainer, Riley Wilson

A thin linebacker corps led by Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss appears to have its third option in place in 2022 third-round pick Chad Muma, who has routinely logged second-team snaps in camp and has even earned looks with the first-team defense when three linebackers are called upon.

Muma overtaking a veteran signing like K.J. Britt is a bit of a surprise, but we also have an undrafted rookie in Khalil Jacobs also overtaking Britt and pushing him out on the roster bubble. Jacobs has been active throughout camp, dialing up plenty of pressure off blitzes while also showing the versatility to drop back in coverage and bat down passes.

Cornerbacks (6)

In: Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Charles Woods, Karon Prunty, Kindle Vildor

Out: Channing Canada, Brandon Crossley, Marcellas Dial, Kenneth Harris, Kobee Minor

We have the Patriots carrying an extra defensive back going into the season, especially with starting corner Carlton Davis still sidelined due to an injury suffered during a 7-on-7 drill near the beginning of camp.

When healthy, a starting cornerback duo of Christian Gonzalez and Davis is dangerous — especially with Marcus Jones in place as the team’s slot corner.

But, with Davis’ durability in question, New England adds extra depth with a trio of corners in Charles Woods, 2026 fifth-round pick Karon Prunty, and free-agent signing Kindle Vildor, who has seen his reps ramp up over the last few days.

Safeties (5)

In: Kevin Byard, Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus, Mike Brown, Brenden Schooler

Out: Eric Butler, Peter Manuma, John Saunders

New England should have a stout starting safety duo in Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson, while Dell Pettus and Mike Brown stand as solid depth options. Brenden Schooler makes the cut, with the safety serving more as a special-teams ace for the Patriots.

Special teams (3)

In: Andy Borregales, Bryce Baringer, Julian Ashby

No real surprises here, especially with no competition in place for any of the key cogs in New England’s special-teams operation.

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.