2-Deep New England Patriots Depth Chart

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Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) catches a pass against Denver Broncos safety Josh Bush (20) in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Wide Receiver
Starters: Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan
Backups: Malcolm Mitchell, Nate Washington and Keshawn Martin

There’s a lot of pressure on the wide receiver group to help make life easier for Jimmy Garoppolo. The positive look is that the three starters all do a great job creating separation and picking up yards after the catch.

On the negative side, they have all dealt with some injuries and lack great size. A inexperienced quarterback like Garoppolo is going to have some accuracy issues which can be hidden by bigger targets with a good catch radius.

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Tight End
Starter: Rob Gronkowski
Backup: Martellus Bennett

New England is going to run a lot of two tight end sets getting both Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett on the field at the same time. This is going to be really tough for opposing defenses to handle because of their versatility.

Both Gronkowski and Bennett are proven difference makers in the passing game. They’ll be the big-targets that Garoppolo leans on in crucial situations. Their size and length give them the ability to make the tough catches in traffic and adjust to poorly thrown balls.

The added bonus here is that both players are above-average run blockers. They’ll help the running game just as much as the passing attack.

Next: Offensive Line

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