The Patriots and Commanders will wrap up the NFL's 2024 preseason on Sunday Night Football as the league looks to market the second and third-overall picks from last April's draft. Jayden Daniels has been announced as Washington's regular-season starter, so he might not play, but for the Patriots, Jerod Mayo said anyone who is healthy will play.
That means an extended look at not only those on the roster bubble but those starters looking to get their games on track. Injuries have complicated things in a couple of spots, including edge and tight end, as young players like Jaheim Bell should get extended opportunities to demonstrate how they've progressed through training camp, while two new arrivals are likely be thrown right into the fire.
With the regular season opener in Cincinnati rapidly approaching, here are 10 things to watch in the Patriots final preseason action of the summer.
Drake Maye: Maye saw his snaps jump from six to 25 in his second preseason game and should be expected to match a similar total in Washington. His positive performance against the Eagles helped spark a solid week of practice from Maye, as he continues to look more comfortable running a pro offense while still delivering some well-placed deep balls. This could be the last look any of us have at Maye until he ends up in his first regular season game, and it's a final chance for the rookie QB to show his development from the spring and summer.
Kevin Harris/JaMycal Hasty – Harris and Hasty have been a nice backup one-two punch this preseason, with Harris grinding out the tough yards and Hasty showing he could be an effective receiving back in the offense. There's little question that Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson are atop the depth chart for those two roles, but at least one other back should get some rotational carries once the regular season arrives. It could be Harris, Hasty or both. And while his action will likely be once again limited to the second half, undrafted rookie Terrell Jennings is a wild card in the group and one who could make a practice squad case for himself with a strong performance against the Commanders.
Vederian Lowe (if he can go) and
Caedan Wallace – Lowe has been the team's top left tackle for nearly all of the summer, but on Wednesday he left practice, thrusting rookie Caedan Wallace back into the left tackle spot. No matter who is at the left tackle spot it's one of the biggest positions to watch. Lowe was making strides while Wallace still has unknown potential. One of the two will be the starter in just over two weeks and this will be the last chance to get live reps and stack some experience, something both potential blindside blockers need.
Photo by David Silverman
Patriots tackle Caedan Wallace. August 15, 2024.
Tyquan Thornton – Thornton has had a strong summer and while his production in practice hasn't overwhelmed, there have been enough flashes that it appears he'll be the team's top outside receiver entering Week 1. Monday's training camp practice wrapped with Jacoby Brissett hitting Thornton down the sideline for a 45-yard bomb and that's an enticing sign that the third-year receiver might be ready to turn a corner and put his sizzling speed to use by taking the top off of opposing defenses. It will likely be a brief appearance for Thornton, but one that he can take advantage of.
Anfernee Jennings – The edge group has been battered this week with both Joshua Uche and Oshane Ximines missing practice. The injuries forced the team to go out and sign two more free agents, more on them shortly. In the meantime, Anfernee Jennings, William Bradley-King and Jotham Russell are the only pure stand-up edge players still healthy, though Keion White canplay there as well. Either way, Jennings is emerging as a key player this preseason. Coming off a breakout year, Jennings received a three-year contract extension. We know he can set the edge and make plays in the backfield against the run, but can he up his game to fill some of the void left behind by Matthew Judon? With injuries piling up, the spotlight is even bigger on the stout outside linebacker from Alabama.
Jeremiah Pharms – Pharms is one of the feel-good stories of the summer, as an unheralded practice squad player who suddenly looks like he's put it all together. He's shown good balance this summer between staying stout up front and attacking the backfield, as all signs point towards Pharms earning a rotation role among the defensive tackles. Davon Godchaux and Daniel Ekuale look like the top duo inside, but after them not much else is settled. Veteran Mike Purcell was released this week as the team has already gotten a jump on whittling things down along the d-line. Another strong performance from Pharms could seal not only a roster spot but a gameday role.
Marco Wilson/Alex Austin – The back-and-forth competition continues for Wilson and Austin as outside cornerbacks. Both receive high-level rotational reps as the team manages veteran Jonathan Jones but there's no clear leader in the position battle. This final game of the preseason might be the most important period of the summer for the two players, although it's not hard to imagine both making the team and continuing to compete into the regular season. Jonathan Jones and Christian Gonzalez are set as the starters, while Marcus Jones has returned to his spot in theslot. But the depth battles continue, also involving Shaun Wade, who's been limited by injury, Isaiah Bolden and rookie Marcellas Dial, who got some looks in the slot this week. It's hard to see how it all plays out.
Kobe Jones/Christian McCarroll – With injuries at the edge position the Patriots signed these two free agents off the street. It's a tough position to be in, but for two players trying to live their dream of playing in the NFL, it's an incredible opportunity. McCarroll had a big hit in his first practice on Wednesday, earning cheers from his newfound teammates. Despite getting only three practices under their belts, Jones and McCarroll should play a lot in the second half of the game. Perhaps their most direct route to the roster will be showing explosiveness as a pass rusher. McCarroll had 16 career sacks at Judon's alma mater Grand Valley State and was a consensus All-American.
Joe Milton – Based on reps this week at practice Milton and Bailey Zappe should be in line to get more action than they've seen since the first week of the preseason. Milton continues to flash but has battled inconsistency. His throw to new receiver Matt Landers on Wednesday was another big play laser. Milton's size and arm talent are fun to watch, it's clear why he was worth taking a developmental shot on him. Now, like Maye, the final preseason game is a last chance to show fans the progress he's made over the summer.
Kickers – The kicking competition comes down to its final preseason game and it's been a tight back-and-forth all summer long. Joey Slye appears to have the edge and handily won Wednesday's final kicking period, hitting all four of his kicks while Chad Ryland hit just one of four. Could it all come down to this game against the Commanders? Expect a rotation that will hopefully include both being tested with long-range attempts. If Slye keeps making all his kicks it will be hard for Ryland to overtake him, however, there's still an argument to be made that keeping both in the kicker-needy league is in the best interest of the team until the starting kicker proves they'll be reliable in the regular season.
