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- Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
The Recent England Patriots come into the 2022 NFL season with just a few more defensive questions than in previous seasons.
The Patriots will bring a revamped defensive unit to their Week 1 clash with the Miami Dolphins.
Between at times, Recent England’s staff has to search out the appropriate mixture of players at linebacker and cornerback to be within the starting lineup for the opening contest.
Matthew Judon is the one lock to begin within the second layer of defense. Recent England brought in some latest faces to enrich the team’s top pass-rusher.
Mack Wilson and Ja’Whaun Bentley lead the list of competitors to fill the opposite starting gigs at linebacker. That might find yourself because the positional battle to look at in training camp.
Recent England also has some inquiries to answer at cornerback. The team drafted two players on the position to compete with Jalen Mills for the starting spot opposite Malcolm Butler.
The Patriots have defined starters at wide receiver, however the abundance of players on the roster on the position make it the offensive situation to look at, in order that we will determine the order of targets from Mac Jones.
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Bryan M. Bennett/Getty ImagesThe Patriots would love if every linebacker produced the identical output as Matthew Judon did last season.
Judon led the team with 12.5 sacks in 2021. No other Patriots player had greater than five takedowns.
Recent England will depend on a handful of young players with just a few years of experience to take over the roles around Judon.
Mack Wilson, Josh Uche, Ronnie Perkins, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Anfernee Jennings could all make cases to be starters in training camp.
Bentley was second on the team in solo tackles behind Kyle Dugger last season and he must have the within track to one in all the opposite starting spots.
If that’s the case, the Patriots may have a handful of players fighting for one spot next to Judon and Bentley.
The pure amount of potential starters at linebacker make the position one of the intriguing spots on the sector in training camp.
Even when certain players don’t earn the starting position, they may still be fighting for snaps when the starters are off the sector.
A clearer pecking order will are available training camp, and the Patriots should hope multiple players impress in order that they’ve depth to cope with the offensive talent throughout the AFC East.
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Icon Sportswire/Getty ImagesThe cornerback battle gained more intrigue after the 2022 NFL draft.
The Patriots chosen Marcus Jones and Jack Jones to supply more cover and competition for the veterans on the roster.
Jones, Jones and Terrance Mitchell are the brand new faces to the position and all of them should compete with Jalen Mills and Jonathan Jones for the No. 2 cornerback spot.
Mills could win the position opposite Malcolm Butler, however the competition is welcome because the Patriots need depth at that spot on the sector to cope with the explosive offenses inside the division.
Jonathan Jones should start training camp with the within track on the nickel cornerback spot, but like Mills, he could receive competition from the newer players in camp.
The important thing for the Patriots is that they construct up as much depth as possible before the season begins to make a correct challenge on the AFC East crown.
Jabrill Peppers is also a possibility at corner if the Patriots wish to get him more snaps, but he should begin camp taking drills at safety.
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Bryan M. Bennett/Getty ImagesThe wide receiver competition is fascinating from the skin since the Patriots have so many bodies within the positional room.
Jakobi Meyers and DeVante Parker needs to be No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart, but there are all forms of questions behind them.
An argument might be made that the Patriots do not need a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver and that training camp will determine the order by which all of the players earn snaps.
Meyers led the Patriots in receptions with 83 in 2021. Kendrick Bourne was second on that chart with 55.
Nonetheless, Meyers only caught two touchdown passes. Bourne was the one wide out with five touchdown catches.
Parker’s addition should cut into the production of one in all those two players, and he may make someone further down the depth chart expendable.
The choice of Tyquan Thornton within the 2022 NFL draft made the potential for a veteran wide out being cut or traded before Week 1 much more likely.
Nelson Agholor, N’Keal Harry and Ty Montgomery may be fighting for snaps if Thornton breaks out in training camp.
If not, the fight for depth chart hierarchy may very well be muddled and will come right down to the ultimate week of coaching camp.
