Updating the Patriots’ depth chart after their huge free agency class
Bill Belichick performed surgery on the New England Patriots during the 2021 offseason. This is a very different team than the one the coach led in 2020. And perhaps that’s for good reason, with last year’s team finishing at 7-9.
Clearly, Belichick didn’t want to scrap that roster altogether. He retained key leaders from that group: Cam Newton, David Andrews, James White, Lawrence Guy, Justin Bethel. But New England also upgraded aggressively with its ample cap space. You probably know the names by now — the Patriots targeted receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, linebacker Matthew Judon and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, among others.
Here’s a look at how the depth chart has changed after the bulk of the Patriots’ free agency signings. There will be more additions, but it’s worth taking a moment to review how the team looks (currently with 79 players and 10 draft picks for 2021).
Quarterbacks
• Cam Newton • Jarrett Stidham • Jake Dolegala Just judging from the way that the Patriots structured Newton's contract, they are at least open to adding another quarterback. At this point, it's unlikely New England will add someone that's starting caliber. Jimmy Garoppolo is one of the few options that might make sense -- and that's only if the 49ers draft a quarterback they think will be ready in Year 1. Jarrett Stidham would have to take a significant leap in his development to be ready to serve as Newton's backup. So perhaps New England drafts a rookie for development in the top three rounds of the draft.
Running backs
• Damien Harris • Sony Michel • James White • J.J. Taylor • Brandon Bolden Harris and Michel are likely to split work on early downs as power running backs. Considering Michel's injury history, he seems to be at his best as a complementary back, with Harris being the No. 1 option. New England solidified its group by re-signing White. Harris is a strong pass-catcher, but he's not in the same league as White, who has been among the best pass-catching backs in the NFL. White's level of play took a step back in 2020, so New England will have to hope he'll be OK in 2021. But they might be wise to add another option, likely a rookie, who can contribute on third downs.
Fullbacks
• Dalton Keene • Jakob Johnson • Dan Vitale I'm putting Keene at the top of the depth chart, because that's what I'm guessing the Patriots want to happen. Johnson and Vitale are true fullbacks, who are strong blockers (and little else). New England drafted Keene as a versatile, do-it-all weapon who projected to be a Kyle Juszczyk, the 49ers fullback who's a unique matchup threat. If Keene takes a big step forward, he could win the fullback job, his clearest path to the field with the Patriots adding two elite tight ends.
Receivers
• Nelson Agholor • Julian Edelman • Jakobi Meyers • Kendrick Bourne • N’Keal Harry • Gunner Olszewski • Isaiah Zuber • Devin Smith • Kristian Wilkerson The Patriots didn't add a WR1 this offseason. Instead, they have three players who (in my mind) are clear-cut WR2s: Edelman, Agholor and Meyers. And then there are two more players with equal parts potential and uncertainty: Bourne and Harry. That should be enough. The Patriots are betting on their tight ends to be the centerpieces in the passing offense.
Tight ends
• Hunter Henry • Jonnu Smith • Devin Asiasi • Dalton Keene • Matt LaCosse My goodness, what a difference a year makes. This is clearly the position that underwent the biggest change. New England went from having zero legitimate options (both in the passing game and running game) at the position to having two. Henry is more of a possession receiver with middling talent as a blocker. Smith is more of a physical freak who is dangerous after the catch and seems to be building upon his average abilities as a blocker. It's easy to imagine that, with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels deploying these two tight ends, this unit will be the NFL's best. Honestly, considering how much money they're putting into the position, anything else could disappoint.
Offensive linemen
• Left tackle: Isaiah Wynn, Justin Herron, Yodny Cajuste • Left guard: Mike Onwenu, Ross Reynolds • Center: David Andrews, Ted Karras, Marcus Martin • Right guard: Shaq Mason, Najee Toran • Right tackle: Trent Brown, Korey Cunningham New England took a solid unit in 2020 and made it even better in 2021. They have two good tackles when healthy: Wynn and Brown. They have some insurance if they lose one of those players: Ownenu. And then they have a starting-caliber depth option in the interior: Karras. Herron, meanwhile, proved he could help in a pinch. It's impressive they have seven linemen who they can trust.
Defensive linemen
• Defensive tackle: Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Byron Cowart, Carl Davis, Bill Murray, Michael Barnett, Akeem Spence • Defensive end: Henry Anderson, Deatrich Wise, Montravius Adams, Nick Thurman It might be sort of fruitless to classify these players with positions, but I tried anyway. If I had to imagine how the line would look for the first play of the season, I'd say: Guy-Godchaux-Anderson. Wise could have a substantial role, too. It's clear Belichick felt that what he had wasn't enough, so he retained most of his talent while adding. Godchaux, in particular, will face big expectations, considering he's the highest-paid defensive lineman on the team.
Outside linebackers
• Matt Judon • Chase Winovich • Josh Uche • Anfernee Jennings • Rashod Berry • Tashawn Bower New England has a pair of pass-rushers in Winovich and Uche. It's unclear how the Patriots rate Winovich in his development as a run defender, but his high-variance snap counts indicate they didn't always trust him. That's where Judon comes in. He can do everything, but he's particularly strong in setting the edge as a run defender. He's a strong enough pass-rusher to stay on the field for third downs. If you're wondering why Van Noy isn't on this list, then let me explain...
Inside linebackers
• Dont’a Hightower • Kyle Van Noy • Ja’Whaun Bentley • Raekwon McMillan • Terez Hall Van Noy is, technically, an outside linebacker. But when the splits come in at the end of the year, I wonder if he will end up taking more snaps on the inside -- barring a big addition at the position in the draft. Bentley and McMillan could make their way into the starting lineup, so that it would be: Judon-Hightower-McMillan-Van Noy. But the Patriots might go back to using Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger at outside linebacker at times. And, of course, they seem to like Winovich. If New England wants those players on the field, that might mean sliding its most versatile linebacker inside. Van Noy will probably anchor the defense alongside Hightower.
Cornerbacks
• Stephon Gilmore • J.C. Jackson • Jon Jones • Jalen Mills • Joejuan Williams • Myles Bryant • Michael Jackson • Dee Virgin • D’Angelo Ross It will be interesting to see if the Patriots chose to retain Jason McCourty, who is still a pending free agent. In the meantime, Mills appears to be a depth piece in the secondary. But he's also insurance, in the event the Patriots need to part ways with Stephon Gilmore, who might hold out if he doesn't get a raise, and J.C. Jackson, who might get an offer sheet in restricted free agency. It's not crazy to think one of those players will leave this offseason -- and it's not crazy to think both players will leave next offseason. So the Patriots may continue to add at this position, which is still very deep on the free agency market.
Safeties
• Devin McCourty • Kyle Dugger • Adrian Phillips It's a short list, isn't it? Here's a spot that the Patriots might target in the draft. Dugger showed promise. Phillips, who played out of position for most of last year, should look better with a strong supporting cast. And then there's McCourty, who is productive and speedy, even at 33. But he's 33, and it's time to start thinking about preparing for his retirement.
Special teams
• Kicker: Nick Folk, Roberto Aguayo • Punter: Jake Bailey • Long snapper: Joe Cardona • Coverage: Matthew Slater, Justin Bethel, Cody Davis, LaRoy Reynolds, Brandon King New England cut former fifth-round pick Justin Rohrwasser this week. That's a pretty major bust. He never played for the Patriots. But Folk is an efficient option, even if his range is somewhat limited. Bailey, Cardona, Slater and Bethel are very good at what they do.
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