Preseason football is just a week away, and the New England Patriots are in the midst of another training camp. The Patriots have had nine official practices, and have Sunday and Monday off to rest for before taking the field again. With this gap in action, let’s take a look at the New England Patriots defensive training camp storylines through nine sessions. Who’s performing well, who’s struggling, and which positions are still up for grabs?
New England Patriots Offensive Training Camp Notes
New England Patriots Defensive Takeaways
Second-Year Players Dominate the Edge
It’s no secret that one of the biggest problems with last years defense was an inability to find serviceable edge defenders. Outside of Trey Flowers, nobody was capable of setting the edge against the run and serving as a consistent threat against the pass rush. So far, it looks as though this won’t be an issue this year.
Free agent signee Adrian Clayborn has impressed, but the true stars of the edge defenders are second-year players Deatrich Wise and Derek Rivers. Wise appears to have made massive strides over his first NFL off-season and looks to be a much more complete player than last year. While Clayborn is still listed above him on the teams’ official depth chart, Wise has seen time over Clayborn on the first-team defense.
Rivers, meanwhile, appears to be back to his old shape after missing all of 2017 with an ACL injury. Both players earned Belichick’s praise for their complete commitment to being the best players they can be. Since training camp is limited contact, there’s only so much we can know about these players development. However, all signs point to big things in 2018.
Malcom Out of the Middle
When the Patriots traded for defensive tackle Danny Shelton, most assumed that he and Malcom Brown would be the top-two defensive tackles with Lawrence Guy serving as the third defensive tackle. However, early practice reps are telling a different story.
Shelton and Guy have started on the first-team defense, while Brown has been relegated to the second-team. The former first-round pick has struggled with consistency over his career but has always been a solid player. Seeing him behind someone like Guy comes as a surprise, even though Guy is a solid defensive lineman in his own right.
Still, Brown shouldn’t struggle to see the field. The Patriots always use a rotating defensive line, so Brown will get his snaps. He just might not get as many as most were expecting.
All Quiet With the Linebackers
It’s hard to get an assessment on linebacker play during training camp, simply because there’s such little contact allowed. Because of this, it’s hard to know where rookies Christian Sam and Ja’Whaun Bentley are in their development. The Patriots will have a better idea on where their skills are once the preseason begins.
The top of the depth chart is basically set in stone with Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy. The only way these two don’t start in Week One is if injury strikes. Speaking of injury, Hightower is coming off of a season-ending shoulder injury and reportedly looks healthy. He suffered a minor scare earlier in camp but didn’t miss a single day of practice. Hopefully, Hightower can remain upright and healthy throughout 2018; the defense is significantly better with him in it.
Rowe Looks Good on the Outside
Stephon Gilmore is undeniably the top cornerback, but there is an all-out competition for the starting job opposite him. Jason McCourty, Eric Rowe, and J.C. Jackson are the top competitors, and at the moment Rowe has had the best camp.
Rowe has stood out positively in the grand majority of the training camp scrimmages so far, and looks to be playing closer to his 2016 form that his streaky 2017 form. Jason McCourty still has a higher ceiling, but it’s good to see Rowe in a positive light again. Jackson has played well and should be considered a favorite for one of the depth cornerback positions.
Second round defensive back Duke Dawson has been the primary slot guy and actually looks pretty good. He doesn’t project well as an outside cornerback, but he’s held up well facing the offense’s slot receiver. With former top slot cornerback Jonathan Jones recovering from a torn Achilles, Dawson could see a lot of playing time early.
Safety Depth Still an Issue
There isn’t much of a question about what Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, and Duron Harmon bring to the table. Each player is good at their respective jobs and should continue to be a solid trio in the secondary.
The issue is what happens should that depth be tested. The backup strong safety is currently Jordan Richards, who has struggled each and every time he’s asked to play defense. If Richards starts seeing regular time on defense, the Patriots are in serious trouble.
Eddie Pleasant is his primary challenger, but the former Texan hasn’t done anything to stick out. Richards still sees the lions share of the second-team snaps, and Pleasant apparently hasn’t done enough to displace Richards. For whatever reason, Bill Belichick is in love with Jordan Richards and is convinced he can do the job when called upon. All discernable evidence points to the contrary.
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