Patriots players that might make the 2024 season worth watching
FOXBORO -- The 2024 NFL season is going to be another trying one for Patriots fans. Jerod Mayo is going to go through some growing pains in his first year as head coach, and wins will likely be hard to come by for New England.
And with a team that doesn't have much top-tier talent -- if any -- on the roster, a rough 18 weeks are ahead. But that doesn't mean the Patriots won't be worth watching. It's football, it's usually always worth watching. (A handful of games over the last two seasons say otherwise, but we're gonna just black those out and focus on the present.)
Just getting to six wins would be seen as an overachievement from this team, but there are some exciting players on both sides of the ball that will make this Patriots squad worth checking out every Sunday. The defense will feature most of the team's "stars," but we'll be watching a lot of young offensive players for their progress and growth throughout the campaign.
Rhamondre Stevenson
The Patriots are going to run the ball a lot in Alex Van Pelt's offense. That will benefit Stevenson the most, and if he can stay healthy, he could potentially be one of the most productive backs in the NFL. Even if the team falls behind, Stevenson will get plenty of touches.
Ja'Lynn Polk
If the summer was a preview of what the Patriots will get in Polk, he's going to be incredibly productive as a rookie. He can make tough catches and isn't afraid to do the dirty work to go get the football.
Polk should see his share of targets in Week 1 (assuming Brissett has time to get rid of the ball) and could be the team's most dangerous target by the end of the season.
Demario Douglas
Last year's leading receiver should be even better in his second NFL season. Douglas is determined to go over 1,000 receiving yards, which would make him the first Patriot to do so since Julian Edelman in 2019. The Patriots haven't even had a 900-yard receiver in the last four years.
Douglas wants to change that, and also find the end zone for the first time in his NFL career. If he stays healthy, he's going to be a lot of fun to watch all season.
The Offensive Line
The line isn't going to make people very happy, but with the new illegal formation rule in the NFL, this could turn into a comedically frustrating sideshow. Mayo said on Friday that the team had staffers stand on each side of the line of scrimmage during practice to make sure their tackles were lined up properly. We'll see if that works.
The offensive line is the biggest question mark with this team -- again. The Pats are still looking for their "Best Five" at this point, if such a thing even exists.
But a stable line could lead to some surprising results, while a disastrous one will mean another rough season in the basement. However it plays out, this group is going to be a major factor in the team's success or failure this season.
Jacoby Brissett
Look, we wall want to see Drake Maye. And we might eventually see the third overall pick this season. But the Patriots are going to be patient with the 22-year-old, and that's the right move at the moment. The offensive line and the wide receiving corps have a severe lack of talent, and there's no sense in throwing the future of the franchise into a bad situation. We might see him late in the year (or if an injury forces him into action), but the Pats are in no rush to get him out there.
That means all we'll see from the rookie for a while is him holding a clipboard and going through mental reps from the sideline. So Jacoby Brissett is going out there instead, bringing a steady, veteran presence to the position for Maye to observe.
Brissett isn't going to win the team many games on his own, but he shouldn't lose them any either. He's a smart quarterback who can control the line of scrimmage, and a tough one that has guided teams through difficult spots before. If the Patriots are lucky, Brissett will give them something like Geno Smith gave the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 when he surprised the NFL. Brissett probably won't put up the big numbers that Smith did (30 touchdown passes, 4,200 yards with an NFL-best 69.8 completion percentage) because he doesn't have the talent around him, but it might not be as bad as many envision.
Keion White
The big fella is gonna feast in the pass rush. With Matthew Judon now a Falcon and Christian Barmore likely out for the year, White is going to be a gigantic factor along the defensive line. He had just one sack last season, but he should get to the opposing QB plenty times this season and lead the team by the end of the year.
Oshane Ximines
Ximines was the most disruptive defensive player in camp and the preseason, and should also be a big player in the Patriots pass rush. When Demarcus Covington dials up the pressure, Ximines is going to be one of the players to really bring it.
Jabrill Peppers
Peppers doesn't take any nonsense from anyone and is the hardest hitter on the Patriots. He's not only the leader of the secondary but he's essentially the heart of the defense. He's a captain this season for a reason; if the team starts to get down on itself, Peppers isn't going to stand for it.
The veteran safety is worth watching every week just for the ferocity he brings to the field. Peppers and Kyle Dugger are going to demolish people throughout the season.
Christian Gonzalez
Over the first six weeks of the season, the Patriots will face a cornucopia of game-changing receivers. If they don't see Ja'Marr Chase in Week 1, they'll still have to deal with Tee Higgins. DK Metcalf follows in Week 2, then the Pats get Garrett Wilson on a short week. They head out West to get acquainted with Brandon Aiyuk in Week 4, before returning home to see Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs in back-to-back weeks.
The Patriots are going to need Christian Gonzalez to play like a star No.1 corner again. He did so for three weeks last season before getting hurt. Hopefully his struggles in the summer were his way of knocking off the rust, and he's ready for some tough assignments throughout the season.
Marcus Jones
Jones is a bit forgotten after he played just two games last season because of a torn labrum. But he's a dynamic do-it-all athlete that was a first-team All-Pro punt returner as a rookie, and he should bring those fireworks to special teams again this season.
We'll see where he fits in with the secondary, but maybe we'll get a few more trick plays on offense involving Jones like we saw in his rookie campaign.
