The Patriots are seven practices into training camp with three sessions in full pads, which means it's time to discuss who is making a strong first impression as an under-the-radar roster candidate.
As things currently stand, it's fair to wonder how many open roster spots there are for a playoff contender that was in the Super Bowl last season. Although it's a good problem to have, the reality for many players considered longshots to make New England's initial 53-man roster is that the Patriots likely have a good grasp of who their frontline players will be this season. However, there are still some areas of the roster where depth could come from lesser-known players, such as tight end, running back, off-ball linebacker, and the interior of the offensive and defensive lines.
Here are eight under-the-radar players who are making an early push to earn roster spots in Patriots training camp.
TE Tanner Arkin
With the clearest path to make the roster as a blocking tight end, Arkin has been heavily involved in recent practices. After signing with the team in free agency, the Patriots were projecting TE Julian Hill into a significant role as a blocking specialist, with veteran TE Hunter Henry the primary pass-catching option at the position. Unfortunately, Hill suffered a season-ending injury in the spring, which opened the door for rookies Eli Raridon (third-round pick) and Arkin to contribute in their first NFL seasons. Raridon looks the part so far as a playmaker in the passing game, with good size and athleticism, but it's been Arkin who has been in a lot of the Patriots early-down run formations.
On Thursday, Arkin finished edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones to the ground in the team's first padded practice and he also had a good block in a half-line run blocking drill on EDGE Xavier Holmes. Arkin's ability to block has also set up some receptions off bootlegs, with the rookie getting wide open on a chip-and-release for a nice gain on third-and-short. The Pats "big" personnel groupings featuring Arkin, A.J. Brown, Mack Hollins, and Reggie Gilliam have been effective at keeping the defense guessing on run and play-action passes. If he can handle the dirty work, Arkin could make the Patriots roster as a blocker on offense and in field goal protection, so that Henry and Raridon can be featured in the passing game.
RB Jam Miller
As the Patriots second-to-last selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, it wouldn't be a major surprise if Miller wins the camp competition for New England's third running back spot. The seventh-round pick's decisiveness, reads, and lateral quickness to find clean entry points have stood out. Miller has also finished runs well, including lowering his shoulder to plow into the end zone on a nice cutback in Friday's practice. Along with serving as depth on offense, the Pats third running back will likely be a featured kickoff returner and Miller has been taking kickoff return reps.
Miller averaged over five yards per rush attempt and showed similar lateral burst to avoid tackles at Alabama, while his 4.42-second 40-yard dash suggests he has the straight-line speed to be a serviceable kickoff returner. Although his between-the-tackles running has been smooth, Miller did fail to turn the corner on a toss play that resulted in a run stuff by S Mike Brown, so we'll need to keep monitoring if his time speed matches up with his play speed. Second-year RB Lan Larison is still getting the first crack at reps behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson but Miller could start to get opportunities soon.
ILB Khalil Jacobs
The Patriots also have an open competition after reworking their linebacker depth this offseason. New England opted not to re-sign LB Jack Gibbens (Cardinals), traded LB Marte Mapu to the Texans, and released veteran Jahlani Tavai in the offseason, so they're undergoing a bit of an overhaul behind projected starters Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss. In early training camp practices, veterans K.J. Britt and Chad Muma have been next on the depth chart following reps for Spillane and Elliss. That said, Jacobs is the rookie who appears to be climbing up the depth chart the fastest to push for reps.
The undrafted rookie has repped on the second unit next to Britt or Muma. He's playing mostly off-the-ball linebacker but has also done some in-line pass rushing. On Saturday, he had a free run at QB Tommy DeVito to apply pressure on a blitz, he reacts quickly to diagnose blocking schemes as a run defender and appears to be calling the defense at times. From this perspective, Muma, who was with the Pats last season, has been their most effective depth linebacker. But there could be a role for Jacobs to make the team as well.
WR Cameron Dorner
After a strong showing in Friday's practice where he caught multiple passes from rookie QB Behren Morton, Dorner seemed to get rewarded by the coaching staff with some looks with the twos. Although those didn't go great, with DeVito finishing 0-of-2 with an interception while targeting Dorner on deep passes, the undrafted rookie has shown the ability to separate. On Friday, he was a standout with three receptions from Morton on a slant, hitch, and boot crosser. The problem for Dorner is that he's competing in a crowded wide receiver room, where we are having conversations about whether there's room on the roster for as many as seven wideouts, but the undrafted rookie deserves a mention for how he's made the most of his opportunities.
DTs Eric Gregory & Isaiah Iton
There are really four defensive tackles who we could write about in this section behind projected regulars Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, and Cory Durden. Gregory, Iton, second-year DT Joshua Farmer, and veteran Jeremiah Pharms Jr. have all flashed at points. Farmer had down multiple run stuffs in Saturday's session. However, it wouldn't be a major surprise if a fourth-round draft pick made the team. Instead, we'll highlight Gregory and Iton, who are on this list for different reasons. Gregory is a wide body who can play nose tackle in base fronts. After NT Khyiris Tonga left in free agency (Chiefs), the Patriots are hoping Durden steps up as Tonga's primary replacement but having enough space-eaters to occupy blocks in the run game could help Gregory stick. As for Iton, he's more of an undersized interior pass-rusher who wins with quickness and a great motor. Before going down with an injury, Iton was on my radar last summer as well. He has been a handful for backup C/G Ben Brown and others in 1-on-1 pass rush periods.
IOLs Andrew Rupcich & Mekhi Butler
As for the offensive line, there's competition when it comes to the fourth tackle spot (early indications it's between Marcus Bryant and James Hudson III) and possibly on the interior offensive line. Most project C/G Ben Brown to be the top swing backup on the interior, and that has held to start camp, but Brown has been a bit shaky in his reps this summer. Therefore, you can't rule out Rupcich or Butler beginning to push Brown to some extent. We'd still project Brown to make the roster but Butler has elevated to the second O-Line over 2024 third-rounder Caedan Wallace while Rupcich has been repping at all three interior spots since the spring. In terms of effectiveness, Butler has stood out since last preseason and his raw power seems to translate to this level. The backup interior spots bear watching if Brown remains inconsistent.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
