The Patriots wrapped up the preseason with a 42-10 loss to the Giants in the Meadowlands on Thursday night.
Although it was a disappointing end to a positive summer for head coach Mike Vrabel, keeping it in perspective is important. Only a small handful of players who played on Thursday night will make New England's initial roster, so the final score isn't too important. That said, it was notable to see certain veterans such as Kyle Dugger, Keion White, and Jabrill Peppers playing on Thursday night. With a new coaching staff, there's still some mixing and matching in terms of roles in new schemes. For example, Vrabel told reporters in New York that Peppers played to get a look at him playing alongside rookie Craig Woodson at safety.
The next step for the Patriots on the calendar is Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline to trim the roster to 53 players. There are several different ways to get the roster down to 53, whether that be placing players on injured reserve, trades, veteran releases or waiving players on rookie contracts. We'll have updates as the Patriots begin trimming the roster over the next few days. Until then, let's focus on Thursday night's preseason finale.
Here are eight takeaways as the Patriots conclude the preseason with a loss to the Giants at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night.
1. S Kyle Dugger Plays 32 Snaps as Safety Rotation Continues
With the other rumored trade candidates for the Patriots not dressing due to injury (Anfernee Jennings), Dugger played three quarters in the Pats preseason finale. The rumors and practice/game reps suggest he could be moved, but Dugger stood out on Thursday night. He had good positioning on multiple deep coverage reps, including on an interception, and was physical near the line of scrimmage and as an enforcer at deep safety. Earlier this summer, Vrabel hinted that Dugger repping with backups was related to him picking up the new defensive scheme. Although it's a third preseason game, the Pats safety seemed more comfortable. At this stage, it's hard to believe that Dugger isn't one of the best 53 players on the team, and he deserves credit for his effort as a veteran playing in a final preseason game.
2. EDGE Keion White Plays 29 Snaps in Preseason Finale vs. the Giants
With the Patriots still trying to find a full-time role for the former second-rounder, White playing into the second quarter in Thursday night's game is notable. This comes on the heels of White losing first-team reps to camp riser K'Lavon Chaisson. Earlier this week, the Pats assistant coaches noted that White needs a permanent position in the defense, as the third-year pro is somewhat of a tweener. On Thursday night, White flashed by logging two hurries and a run stuff, but his reps remain inconsistent. Given that he was a projected starter when camp began, White playing meaningful snaps in the third preseason game wasn't expected. White is best as an interior pass-rusher but is built more for the edge on early downs. However, White might not have regular opportunities with top DTs Christian Barmore and Milton Williams on the inside, while Harold Landry and Chaisson have had strong camps on the edge.
3. Patriots Start LG Jared Wilson and C Ben Brown Amidst Interior O-Line Competition
The Patriots started Thursday night's game with two potential starters, rookie Jared Wlson and C/G Ben Brown, as their left guard and center, while veteran C Garrett Bradbury didn't dress. There are two ways to look at this. One is to say that Bradbury is the entrenched starter at center. The other way is that the coaching staff wanted to see what a Wilson (LG) and Brown (C) pairing looked like in a game. We've seen this duo in practice more over the last week, suggesting an open competition at left guard and center. Brown and Wilson didn't allow a pressure on four pass blocks, while the offensive line didn't create much push in the run game.
Rookie Marcus Bryant also came out of the game following the third series after playing both tackle spots, signaling that the seventh-rounder is viewed as the top swing tackle. On the flip side, Cole Strange, Sidy Sow and Ceadan Wallace had shaky nights. Based on the preseason finale, Brown appears to have the inside track at a roster spot over Strange, Sow and others. With cutdown day on Tuesday, it'll be interesting to see if the Patriots keep four tackles, with last year's starting LT Vederian Lowe as the favorite if they keep four, from this perspective.
4. WR Javon Baker Plays 33 Snaps in Final Audition to Make the Roster
Along with Dugger and White, several other notable veterans still competing for roles played on Thursday night. Mainly, WR Javon Baker had an up-and-down night with a penalty, missed a crack block that led to a run TFL and zero catches on two targets. Baker could've gotten more help from his quarterback on his two targets, a theme for him this preseason. That said, he has now caught one of his last nine targets over two preseason games. We'll see if Baker did enough between his practice performance and contributions on special teams to make the roster.
5. Patriots Rest Top Draft Picks, But Others From 2025 Rookie Class Play vs. Giants
The Patriots rested top picks LT Will Campbell and RB TreVeyon Henderson in this game, while third-rounder Kyle Williams missed the game due to injury. As for those who did play, defenders S Craig Woodson, DT Joshua Farmer, EDGE Bradyn Swinson and CB Kobee Minor were all active. Farmer flashed with a run stuff and a solid pressure, making Keion White "right" by looping around to close the pocket when White had created some inside pressure. As the roster takes shape, it'll be worth monitoring if all the Pats draft picks from the 2025 class make the team. Mainly, Minor's had some ups and downs in coverage, giving up a 27-yard touchdown to WR Jalin Hyatt on a go route. Minor is in a crowded room at cornerback, too. From this vantage point, it looks like most of the Patriots draft class will make the initial roster.
6. QB Ben Wooldridge Goes Wire-to-Wire vs. the Giants
After starting QB Drake Maye and projected backup Joshua Dobbs received all the practice reps recently, the Patriots gave the undrafted rookie the game on Thursday night. Wooldridge was inconsistent, besides a solid two-minute drill to end the first half. The rookie's ball placement was erratic at times, making life difficult on his receivers, but Wooldridge made four plus throws on the two-minute drill.
On his best throw of the night, Wooldridge attacked man coverage on a four verticals concept where he had WR Jeremiah Webb working the backside vertical. Webb won on the route vs. Giants CB Dee Williams, and Wooldridge dropped it in the bucket nicely for the Pats lone touchdown. The undrafted rookie gave it back with a pick-six later in the night, where it appeared that he expected TE Jaheim Bell to sit vs. zone, but Bell continued his route. Although all the focus is on Maye, quarterback depth could be a sneaky need for the Patriots in 2026.
7. Undrafted Rookies Make Final Roster Push in Thursday Night's Game
Along with Wooldridge, undrafted rookies who began to make roster pushes played most of the game on Thursday night. First, edge rusher Elijah Ponder logged two pressures and continues to push for opportunities on special teams. As for DB Jordan Polk, it was a shaky night, with two holding penalties in coverage for the undrafted rookie. Given the praise from the assistant coaches earlier this week, Ponder might've done enough to make the team.
8. Rookie K Andy Borregales Handles Kicking Duties vs. the Giants
Borregales attempted two field goals and an extra point vs. the Giants, missing a 49-yarder while connecting on an extra point and a 30-yard field goal. Borregales finished the preseason 3-for-5 on field goals, with misses from 57 yards (last week) and 49 yards (Thursday night). The tie seemingly goes to Borregales as a sixth-round pick, but Parker Romo has kicked well in practice. This was a great competition all summer, so we'll see what Vrabel and company decide.
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
