Post 2016 NFL Draft: New England Patriots Depth Chart

With the 2016 NFL draft in the books it’s time to take a look at the New England Patriots Depth Chart based on their recent additions.

The biggest impact the 2016 NFL draft had on the New England Patriots Depth Chart was providing depth across the roster. Cyrus Jones has the best chance to make an immediate impact as a nickelback and return man.

Quarterback

Starter: Tom Brady
Backups: Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett

Normally the quarterback position is pretty boring for the Patriots with Brady entrenched as the starter. This year is different because Brady will miss the first 4 games due to the deflate-gate suspension.

Garoppolo will get the first crack at the starting job with Brissett as the backup. However, I wouldn’t rule out the Patriots adding as stop-gap veteran such as Matt Cassel for the first few weeks.

Running Back

Starter: LeGarrette Blount
3rd-down: Dion Lewis and James WhiteBench: Brandon Bolden

New England likes to shuffle their running backs in and out depending on their opponent. There are weeks where they look to pound the ball with Blount and others where they feature Lewis in the passing game.

Wide Receiver

Starters: Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman
No. 3: Chris Hogan
Bench: Nate Washington, Malcolm Mitchell and Matthew Slater

This group features steady performers that provide little in the way of big-plays down the field. New England’s offense features a lot of underneath and short passes that works with the type of receivers they collected.

Tight End

Starter: Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett
Backup: Michael Williams

The Patriots will use both Gronkowski and Bennett to attack the seem and provide the big-plays they don’t get out of the wide receiver corps. Both players figure to be on the field at the same time on a large majority of the snaps.

Left Tackle

Starter: Nate Solder
Backup: Sebastian Vollmer and Marcus Cannon

New England is hoping that Solder is able to remain healthy and solidify what could be a strong offensive line. Solder is extremely talented, but has suffered from bouts of inconsistency.

Left Guard

Starter: Shaquille Mason
Backup: Jonathan Cooper and Joe Thuney

This will be a camp battle to watch during training camp. Look for the Patriots to pick the top performers to fill both guard positions. Cooper could get an extra look thanks to his natural talent and salary.

Center

Starter: Bryan Stork
Backup: David Anderson

New England is set at the center position with both Stork and Anderson proving to be capable starters. It’ll be interesting to see if the Patriots are tempted to move one of these two over to guard.

Right Guard

Starter: Tre’ Jackson
Backup: Jonathan Cooper and Joe Thuney

See left guard.

Right Tackle

Starter: Sebastian Vollmer
Backup: Marcus Cannon, Cameron Fleming and LaAdrian Waddle

Health is main topic at the right tackle position. Vollmer is an above-average player but has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. Both Cannon and Fleming have been inconsistent when asked to fill in.

Defensive End

Starters: Rob Ninkovich and Jabaal Sheard
Backups: Chris Long, Trey Flowers and Geno Grissom

Even with trading away Chandler Jones, the Patriots have players capable of generating pressure off the edge. The health and play of Chris Long could push this group into the dynamic level.

Defensive Tackle

Starters: Terrance Knighton and Malcom Brown
Backups: Alan Branch, Vince Valentine and Joe Vellano

Knighton and Branch are going to clog the running lanes while Brown penetrates the pocket. Depth is a concern at this position where New England will lean heavily on rookie Vince Valentine.

SAM Linebacker

Starter: Jamie Collins
Backups: Shea McClellin and CJ Johnson

Jamie Collins is one of the premier players at his position and routinely makes a major impact on the game.

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Middle Linebacker

Starter: Shea McClellin
Backups: Jonathan Freeny

New England praised McClellin for his versatility which is evident in this depth chart breakdown. He could play all three linebacker positions and will fight for a starting job in the middle.

WILL Linebacker

Starter: Dont’a Hightower
Backup: Shea McClellin

Like Collins, Hightower is one of the top linebackers in the league and a key to the performance of the Patriots defense.

Cornerback

Starters: Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan
Nickel: Cyrus Jones
Backups: Justin Coleman, EJ Biggers and Jonathan Jones

Malcolm Butler has emerged as a major talent and the top cornerback on the roster. Look for Cyrus Jones to see a lot of action in the slot. Depth is a concern at this position as things could get a little dicey with an injury to either Butler or Ryan.

Safety

Starters: Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung
Backups: Jordan Richards, Duron Harmon and Nate Ebner

McCourty and Chung are entrenched as the starters with the rest of the players severing as special team contributors.

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