The New England Patriots’ 2026 training camp is underway, and the first four practices of the summer in the books. Even though those were effectively an extension of the offseason before the expected introduction of full pads on Thursday, they were still a first extensive glimpse into the team as it ramps up its preparation for the upcoming season.
This also means that some early trends have started to emerge. Players are trending up, players are trending down, and competitions are evolving.
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With the Patriots returning to practice off their first off-day, and with those aforementioned pads about to be introduced to the mix, we thought that now would be a good time to look at those competitions and find out where they presently stand. Obviously, there is a long way to go before the start of preseason and roster cutdowns, so consider this a first of what will be multiple snapshots this summer.
Patriots camp competition update: July 29
Quarterback: Drake Maye is undisputed as the Patriots’ starter, but behind him a competition might be brewing. Seventh-round rookie Behren Morton has received his fair share of practice reps and performed on a decent level. He still finds himself behind Tommy DeVito on the depth chart as the third-string QB, but he actually had some moments when he looked better than the No. 2. DeVito still has the edge and is coming off a strong practice on Tuesday, but Morton is making a case to be included on the 53-man team as a third passer.
Running back: Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson are unsurprisingly leading the way, with Lan Larison typically the next man up — one who also saw some reps with Drake Maye and the top offense at points. That said, seventh-round draft pick Jam Miller has had a solid start to his rookie training camp and from our point of view does not appear to be that far off the second-year man. The full-pads practices will help create a clearer picture in the RB3 competition.
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Wide receiver: Through four practices, A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs and DeMario Douglas look like the starting receiver trio, with Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins rounding out the top five behind them. Among that group, Boutte has looked the best and Douglas like his oft-used spring self. Doubs, meanwhile, has been quiet, while Brown is still finding his connection with Drake Maye. Behind them, sophomores Kyle Williams and Efton Chism are fighting for the WR6 job. The battle is a close one, but based on the quality of reps Chism appears to have a marginal edge at the moment.
Tight end: Hunter Henry is the clear top tight end on the roster. Third-rounder Eli Raridon, meanwhile, is the No. 2 despite some drops and maybe playing too quick for himself to anticipate throws on time; he looked smoother and more involved performance Tuesday. The real intrigue, however, starts behind the two. Based on the first four sessions, undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin is the top blocking specialist on the roster and is slowly expanding his role.
Offensive tackle: Will Campbell, Morgan Moses and Caleb Lomu are the top three tackles on the roster, with the latter two swapping places in the starting lineup depending on Morgan’s presence and practice usage. The depth spots behind the trio are currently headlined by Marcus Bryant, a mainstay on the second-team line, and by James Hudson, who even saw some starter reps at right tackle on Tuesday.
Interior offensive line: Caedan Wallace, Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich are the names to watch when it comes to the backup jobs along the interior offensive line. The trio has consistently manned those spots in practice and appears to clearly be ahead of any competitors. Obviously, as is the case with the other line positions on both offense and defense, the full-pads portion of training camp will create a clearer picture.
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Interior defensive line: With Milton Williams and Christian Barmore as the starters, the next spots on the depth chart appear to be Cory Durden’s and Joshua Farmer’s to lose. Durden is the third member of the rotation and very much can be seen as a lock to make the team, while Farmer has repped extensively alongside him with the second-string defense. It remains to be seen how deep the Patriots elect to go, but if they went with five DTs, Leonard Taylor is the player to keep an eye on.
Defensive edge: With Harold Landry and Gabe Jacas both sidelined to open camp, the Patriots have been without two of their projected top three edge defenders. This created opportunities for second-year men Bradyn Swinson and especially Elijah Ponder, who has run with the starters opposite Dre’Mont Jones during Landry’s absence. Both he and Swinson are in a good position, while undrafted rookie Xavier Holmes and free agency signing Jesse Luketa have also had a few positive moments. Still, the group as a whole is nowhere near its best.
Linebacker: Unsurprisingly, Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss are hoarding the starter-level reps at linebacker. Behind them, K.J. Britt has been first off the bench at one point, with Chad Muma also involved in the mix. The two veterans might end up battling for one roster spot, depending on what the youngsters behind them are doing once the pads come on.
Cornerback: The top of the Patriots’ cornerback room looks as expected, with Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones as the top three. Further down the depth chart, Charles Woods is the current CB4. When he left Tuesday’s practice due to injury, free agency pickup Kindle Vildor took his spot in the lineup. Vildor is part of a group also including Karon Prunty, Kobee Minor and Marcellas Dial Jr. — the latter of whom having gotten a run as a nickel/slot corner — competing for the fifth and sixth spots on the depth chart.
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Safety: With Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson firmly set as the starting safety duo, the Patriots opted to rotate the third man next to them so far in practice. Mike Brown, Dell Pettus and John Saunders Jr. all got a crack at the role so far. Basically, the only available safety — Brenden Schooler remains on the NFI list — not used in that fashion with the starters is undrafted rookie Peter Manuma.
Special teams: Kicker Andy Borregales, punter Bryce Baringer and long snapper Julian Ashby have no competition in camp at their respective positions, so they are all locked into roster spots at the moment. Borregales has looked good, Baringer has not had to do any competitive punting yet, and Ashby was solid outside of one errant snap on Tuesday.
The Patriots are scheduled to hold three practices this week, with one session each on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For more info, please check out our Pats Pulpit Training Camp Guide.
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