Projecting the New England Patriots' 53-Man Roster
- Tanner James
- Aug 15
- 3 min read
As of August 15th, the Patriots have 91 players on their roster, but only 53 will earn regular-season opportunities. With significant changes over the past nine months, this year’s roster could look very different from previous seasons as the team moves further away from the Bill Belichick era. Here’s my projection of how the roster might shake out.
Offense(25 players)
Quarterbacks (2): Drake Maye, Josh Dobbs
Cut: Ben Wooldridge
Running Backs (3): Rhamondre Stevenson, Treyvon Henderson, Antonio Gibson
Cut: Terrell Jennings, Shane Watts, JaMycal Hasty
Wide Receivers (7): Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Mack Hollins, Efton Chism, Javon Baker
Cut: Kendrick Bourne, John Jiles, Jeremiah Webb IR: Ja’Lynn Polk
Tight Ends (3): Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jaheim Bell
Cut: Gee Scott Jr, Jack Westover, Cole Fotheringham, CJ Dipre
Offensive Tackles (5): Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, Marcus Bryant, Vederian Lowe, Caeden Wallace
Cut: Demontrey Jacobs
Interior Offensive Line (5): Garrett Bradbury, Ben Brown, Michael Onwenu, Jared Wilson, Layden Robinson
Cut: Cole Strange, Sidy Sow, Alec Lindstrom, Mehki Butler, Tyrese Robinson, Jack Conley
This year’s offensive roster is difficult to predict, particularly with so much draft capital invested in the interior offensive line. In this projection, former first-round pick Cole Strange is being cut, as he finds himself on the fringe of a roster battle with other veterans. Ultimately, Strange hasn’t shown enough in his NFL tenure to guarantee a spot, though his guard/center versatility, first-round pedigree, and athletic profile could still keep him around. In contrast, Sidy Sow—another player with top-120 draft capital—is a heavier, slower-footed, space-eating lineman, the polar opposite of Strange. Layden Robinson occupies a middle ground between the two and projects to make the 53-man roster.
The offseason buzz surrounding Ja’Lynn Polk has centered on his future with the team, and he now lands another opportunity via an IR designation. Polk underwent offseason surgery and suffered another setback last week, making this camp a frustrating one for him. Given the team’s draft investment, he’ll likely get a final chance—an offseason to recover mentally and physically before returning to next year’s camp to compete for a roster spot.
Meanwhile, Javon Baker and Efton Chism have both been too strong in camp to consider cutting, and neither would survive waivers to the practice squad. That essentially locks them onto the roster. Polk likely benefits from a “Foxboro Flu” IR stash—probably not fully earned, but likely inevitable for a top-50 pick just a year removed from the draft.
Defense(25)
Edge (4): Harold Landry III, K’Lavon Chaisson, Bradyn Swinson, Elijah Ponder
Cut: Anfernee Jennings
Defensive Line (6): Keion White, Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Joshua Farmer, Truman Jones, Jeremiah Pharms Jr
Cut: Isaiah Iton, David Olajiga, Kyle Peko, Jahvaree Ritzie, Jereme Robinson, Khyiris Tonga
Linebackers (5): Robert Spillane, Jahlani Tavai, Marte Mapu, Jack Gibbens, Christian Elliss
Cut: R.J. Moton, Cam Riley, Monty Rice
Safeties (5): Jabrill Peppers, Craig Woodson, Brenden Schooler, Jaylinn Hawkins, Dell Petus
Cut: Marcus Epps IR: Kyle Dugger Cornerbacks (5): Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Alex Austin, Marcus Jones, DJ James
Cut: Tre Avery, Miles Battle, Brandon Crossley, Jordan Polk, Kobee Minor, Isaiah Bolden
This defense shows real promise, anchored by third-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who has the potential to blossom into a true top-three NFL corner, and a strong interior pass-rush presence in Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. Major free-agent addition Carlton Davis has had an up-and-down career but is well-positioned to succeed as the CB2.
Depth at the position remains crucial, however, as neither of the top outside corners has ever played a full NFL season—Davis has never appeared in more than 14 games in his seven-year career. Two camp standouts, Elijah Ponder and Truman Jones, are likely to make the roster as developmental players, while Craig Woodson, another standout in camp, is poised to see starting reps.
Another key name to watch is Kyle Dugger, who is recovering from offseason surgery and represents significant draft and financial investment. If Dugger does not land on IR, he could become a cut candidate, though releasing him would be difficult given his cap implications:
Post–June 1 Cut:
2025 Dead Cap: $14,250,000
2026 Dead Cap: $9,000,000
2025 Savings: $1,014,706
Cutting Dugger would saddle the team with over $24 million in dead cap over the next two seasons. A positional change to linebacker could also be in play, as Mike Vrabel didn’t rule out the idea during Thursday’s joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings.
Special Teams
Kicker (1): Andy Borregales
Cut: Parker Romo
Long Snapper (1): Julian Ashby
Punter (1): Bryce Baringer
Not much to say here—the drafted kicker, with superior leg power, is expected to make the roster despite a tight competition. The same goes for Julian Ashby, the first long-snapper drafted in over four years.
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