Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots’ 2026 training camp isn’t just around the corner anymore. It’s here.
At 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, the reigning AFC champions will take the field for the first time. With that, the competition for the roster spots will heat up immensely. With currently 92 players on the team but only 53 spots available, players will try to put their best foot forward from the get-go and show that they are indeed deserving of making the cut over their peers.
How that will shake out remains to be seen. From our perspective, at least, the following will happen.
Welcome to the first roster projection of the summer.
In (2): Drake Maye, Tommy DeVito
Out (1): Behren Morton
Drake Maye took a massive sophomore leap last season, finishing just shy of being named MVP. In his third season and second with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, he looks to continue his growth as The Guy in New England.
Rookie seventh-round pick Behren Morton has an intriguing profile as a backup quarterback behind Drake Maye, but he lands outside the 53-man roster and likely on the practice squad here until we see him earn a spot in camp. Veteran backup Tommy DeVito is fine enough for that spot and knows the system, so he gets the nod.
If we’re thinking about either Morton or DeVito at any point past Labor Day, something has gone seriously wrong. With Drake Maye at the helm, the only play either of them should need to know this year is run out of victory formation.
In (3): Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Jam Miller
Out (3): Lan Larison, Terrell Jennings, Myles Montgomery
After early fumbles had fans calling for Rhamondre Stevenson to be cut last year, he quickly turned the season around and became a dependable three-down weapon. He’s the team’s most consistent runner between the tackles, most consistent pass blocker in the backfield, and best route runner at the position. He’ll be joined by TreVeyon Henderson, a boom-or-bust threat who singlehandedly won multiple games for the Pats last season but who needs to have less “bust” in his game to be a more dependable option down to down.
In this projection, they’re joined by rookie seventh-rounder Jam Miller from Alabama. Miller projects as a solid backup for Stevenson as a between-the-tackles runner, edging out Terrell Jennings for that role. Second-year UDFA Lan Larison and rookie UDFA Myles Montgomery add more in the passing game and could challenge for the third running back slot or force the team to keep four on the roster.
In (1): Reggie Gilliam
Out (1): Jack Westover
Reggie Gilliam is a quality starter at fullback, spending the last six seasons in Buffalo where he played in 108 games and started 13. The Patriots signed him to a three-year, $12 million contract this offseason to help improve a running game that struggled for most of last season.
He’s a clear upgrade over Westover, who made...
