Nine Players To Watch In Patriots’ Preseason Opener Vs. Panthers

The Patriots host the Carolina Panthers for an exhibition matchup at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, and there will be plenty of folks to keep your eye on.

New England enters a new era with vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, head coach Jerod Mayo and quarterback Drake Maye all set for a first-time experience in their new roles. It would be too obvious to pay all of your attention to those guys, though.

We believe some under-the-radar players should instead be at the top of mind Thursday, some of which could see their roster status closely tied to what happens against Carolina.

EDGE Keion White

White couldn't be more of a roster lock. The Patriots continuously touted him as a candidate to make that ever-important second-year leap, but there's a bit of a question as to what his exact role will be. Is he going to be a three-down player? Is he going to stand up off the edge? How will he be used in passing situations?

White will provide some answers Thursday, perhaps with a few early splash plays.

K Chad Ryland

Ryland (24-of-27) has been slightly better than Joey Slye (22-of-27) during camp. It'll be interesting to see if that continues in a game setting, or if the competition is just getting started.

TE La'Michael Pettway and TE Mitchell Wilcox

Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper are going to get the majority of reps in 2024, but there's a spot to be had behind them. Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will utilize three tight ends routinely, and it looks as though either Pettway and Wilcox are the leaders to become that guy.

Wilcox has shown more as a pass-catching option and has worked extensively with Maye, but Pettway is a better blocker. We'll be paying close attention to these guys throughout camp.

S Jaylinn Hawkins

Hawkins will play "a lot" this preseason, according to Mayo. It's likely because New England wants to be sure he's able to handle playing in multiple roles on the back end -- which is what it needs alongside Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers.

We see Hawkins as the guy who will win that third job, but with Dell Pettus and A.J. Thomas bearing down, the 26-year-old needs to produce when given an opportunity.

WR Tyquan Thornton

The Patriots likely couldn't be more pleased with Thornton's improvements this summer, as he looks like not only a roster lock but a potential contributor. He will have to show he can apply that growth to a game setting, and though he's currently dealing with a soft-tissue injury, that shouldn't be enough to keep him off the field Thursday. It's a big one for the third-year wideout.

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Smith-Schuster's place on the roster is extremely odd. He's comfortably been the worst receiver in camp, dropping more passes than he's caught in total. New England demoted the 27-year-old to the second field during a team period Monday, where the likes of Joe Milton III and Bailey Zappe threw to him.

Who will throw to him against the Panthers? How long will he play? Is there a chance it's the last time we see him in the blue and silver?

OT Caedan Wallace

Wallace was expected to be a candidate to start at one of the available tackle spots, but we've seen him spend the majority of his time with the back-ups. It's expected that will continue Thursday, but a positive showing against Carolina could help move him up the depth chart.

EDGE Oshane Ximines

Ximines is our representative for the new kickoff rule, which should impact multiple individual players.

"I actually like it," Ximines said of the new rule Saturday. "They took running out of the kickoff, and now everything is within five yards. It fits in with my strong suits, where everything happens quick. It's like getting off the line and playing a tackle or a tight end, so it's suited for my game."