The year-two leap is a long-standing theory in pro football that players improve most between year one and year two of their NFL careers.
As rookies, the stress of transitioning from college to the pros can lead to inconsistent results. There's the jump in competition, more complicated playbooks and schemes to digest, and the rigors of being a professional. Most rookies attempt to get their footing in the league in year one and don't really find their stride until their second season, when all the newness of the NFL becomes routine for young players. Plus, a year in an NFL team's strength and conditioning program leads to physical development.
Last season, QB Drake Maye had a seismic year-two leap when he went from a promising rookie to MVP runner-up while leading the Patriots to Super Bowl LX. Obviously, Maye's meteoric rise to elite quarterback status is peak improvement from year one to year two. Still, it serves as an example for the 2025 rookie class led by fourth-overall pick Will Campbell and four top-95 selections from two drafts ago.
From this perspective, the internal improvement from the 2025 rookie class is crucial to the Patriots success this season. Although offseason additions such as wideouts A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs are headline grabbers, Campbell and company improving in their second seasons could increase the ceiling of the Patriots roster the most, especially when you consider that this year's crop of rookies don't all have clear paths to make immediate contributions like the 2025 class did.
After selecting in the top five in back-to-back years, New England made its first selection in the 2026 draft when it picked OT Caleb Lomu 28th overall. Lomu projects to start his rookie season as a top backup while third-rounder Eli Raridon is also backing up captain Hunter Henry at tight end. Second-rounder Gabe Jacas is the most likely immediate contributor because the Pats have less depth at edge rusher but Jacas will be in a rotational role alongside vets Dre'Mont Jones, Harold Landry III, and second-year EDGE Elijah Ponder.
Unlike the 2025 rookie class that produced three immediate starters and the team's leader in yards from scrimmage (RB TreVeyon Henderson), the current rookies could be on longer-term development plans. So, the draft-and-develop Patriots best bet for internal development is their crop of second-year players.
Starting with the fourth-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Campbell is having a promising second training camp after a shaky playoff performance. As a 21-year-old rookie, Campbell was grading out as a league-average tackle in his first 12 games. According to Pro Football Focus, Campbell ranked 28th among 62 qualified tackles with a 71.3 overall grade. However, after missing five weeks due to a knee injury, Campbell struggled when he returned from injured reserve down the stretch in 2025 (50.0 grade in the playoffs).
After spending time this offseason picking the brains of stud tackles such as Lane Johnson, Tristan Wirfs, and Dion Dawkins, Campbell looks better schooled at his craft, stronger, and healthier. According to the Pats left tackle, Campbell is emphasizing more variety in his technique to keep pass-rushers off balance.
"It's a chess match between a tackle and an edge rusher. They have a plan, we have a plan, and it's about who can disrupt the other's plan. That's just something I'm trying to do and I've still got a long way to go to be where I want to be," Campbell said. "It's kind of like a pitcher. If you know the pitcher is going to throw a fastball every time, more than likely, you're going to hit it. So, trying to keep people on their toes."
In the 2025 playoffs, Campbell relied mostly on vertical sets. Vertical sets give tackles more time to react to pass-rush moves and line stunts, but they also create space between the blocker and rusher, allowing the rusher to build momentum and generate speed-to-power. This summer, Campbell is showing more variety in his pass sets, using different techniques to bring the fight to rushers. After playing against him as a rookie while in Tennessee, veteran Dre'Mont Jones sees significant improvement from Campbell as well.
"He's definitely a lot more stout," Jones said. "He's not as easy to push back, I guess. I mean, not to say he was easy before but he's definitely become smarter and more patient with his hands. He stays square a lot more. Will's so young and I feel like he has a lot of pressure to be the greatest tackle of all time right now. He's a really good tackle for going into year two."
Another major development along the offensive line is that the Patriots are moving third-rounder Jared Wilson back to his natural position at center. Wilson started 13 games at left guard as a rookie but was drafted out of the University of Georgia as the Pats center of the future. With free-agent addition Alijah Vera-Tucker between Campbell and Wilson at left guard, the hope is that adding Vera-Tucker into the fold and having Wilson at his natural spot will improve the offensive line. So far, line coach Doug Marrone has liked what he has seen from both second-year linemen and sees Wilson quickly settling back into his most familiar position.
"He's very steady. That's the one thing about Jared, I would say, you never see him really too high, he's never really too low. He approaches his job very well and he's a very good communicator," Marrone said. "I think it was easier for him because he's done it and that's where he felt comfortable. I think it was a tougher transition last year going from a center in college to guard. So, I think it's been easier."
The Patriots are also hoping for year-two growth from second-year players TreVeyon Henderson, Kyle Williams, and starting safety Craig Woodson, who had a terrific playoff run and was one of their best players in the Super Bowl. Williams had a solid preseason opener with two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. With a crowded wide receiver room, some have speculated that Williams, the 69th overall pick in the 2025 draft, could struggle to carve out playing time. In camp, Williams has consistently repped with the second-team offense, with a noteworthy lack of first-team reps. However, head coach Mike Vrabel put those rumblings to rest when he said Williams will have a role in 2026.
"I really, really know that Kyle is going to help us. His speed is going to help us," Vrabel said. "He's got a skill set, right? We're going to find ways to get him the ball. I know that he is going to be a large part of what we're going to do."
Lastly, the Patriots might've found a hidden gem in edge rusher Elijah Ponder, who had four sacks as an undrafted rookie last season. With Landry on the physically unable to perform list, Ponder has taken the bulk of the reps opposite Jones in the Patriots starting defense. At the very least, Ponder projects to be in a rotation with Jacas, Jones, and Landry in his second season. On Monday, Ponder spoke about his growing comfort level in the Patriots system and the league as a whole as he enters his second year in the NFL.
"It definitely feels different coming in year two with the same system, with the same coaches, and just all those relationships in the building with the team. It feels good compared to not knowing anybody, not knowing the system, and not knowing just the NFL and how it works," Ponder said on Monday. "The main thing for me was probably the playbook. Just being able to know what you're doing and being able to play free because you have the knowledge to do so."
After back-to-back four-win seasons, the opportunity was there for a highly drafted rookie class to play over 3,600 combined snaps in 2025. Now, stepping into a 14-win team that went to the Super Bowl a year ago, the Patriots current rookie class is trying to earn roles on a far more competitive roster. That's not to say that Lomu, Jacas, Raridon, and the current crop of first-year players are afterthoughts. But there's more riding on the year-two leap candidates than the rookies. If any of them come close to the improvement that Maye showed in his second season, the Patriots young core will look that much better for the future.
Here's a note with more takeaways on the Patriots 2025 draft class after 17 training camp practices.
- LT Will Campbell has been the lone lineman working as Maye's blindside protector during team drills. Campbell has looked solid in full 11-on-11s with an improved anchor and fewer decisive losses. In 1-on-1 drills, the former first-rounder has been outstanding. He has controlled matchups against top pass-rushers Dre'Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder, and Gabe Jacas, with only one loss to Jones all summer. Campbell was also 2-0 in his 1-on-1 reps against Colts edge rusher Arden Key during last Tuesday's joint practice. Campbell has had a strong camp.
- RB TreVeyon Henderson has continued to platoon in the backfield with Rhamondre Stevenson this summer. Evaluating the running game in practice can be challenging since there isn't live tackling, so my focus has been more on Henderson in the passing game. There have been signs of improvement in blitz pickup, including Henderson throwing a good block to keep Maye clean in Monday's session, while he wins occasional foot races to the flats and on verticals out of the backfield against linebackers. We'll have to wait and see if Henderson has improved as a ball carrier for when he sees live game action.
- WR Kyle Williams is trying to carve out a role in a crowded wide receiver room. Last week, Williams split two Colt defenders on a deep post route for a long completion from backup QB Tommy DeVito. He then followed that up with consistent separation in Thursday night's preseason game. From this perspective, Williams is arguably the Patriots best separator on vertical routes and he has the team's best release package. The second-year wideout's unique skill set is valuable to this offense, as Vrabel said.
- C Jared Wilson's snap quickness and ability to block on the move have stood out. Wilson can reach on the line of scrimmage, get to the second level, and block in space on screens, with his athleticism shining now that he's uncovered more at center. He also had some good battles inside with Colts DT Grover Stewart, who is a difficult defender to match up against from a power standpoint. The early returns for Wilson at center have been positive.
- S Craig Woodson is following up his terrific playoff run by being a mainstay next to free-agent Kevin Byard in the back end of the Pats defense. Byard and Woodson look interchangeable in camp practices but I wonder if they'll get to the point where Woodson is the chess piece moving around the secondary while Byard ball-hawks as a deep safety. Woodson made a huge impact playing near the ball as a rookie and Byard led the league in INTs last season.
- DT Joshua Farmer has been noticeable as an interior run defender and has some decisive wins with a sudden two-hand swipe move in 1-on-1s. Farmer is vying for snaps behind top DTs Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, and Cory Durden. As of now, he has earned a role for himself on the roster, but it's hard to envision anyone unseating Williams, Barmore, and Durden.
- EDGE Bradyn Swinson has spoken openly about his weight loss (down 15 pounds to 255lbs) and maturity after redshirting his rookie season. The skill pass-rusher has flashed in 1-on-1s, especially on inside counters, and had a strong showing in the preseason opener (two pressures, batted pass, two run stops). That said, you don't notice him as much in 11-on-11s and he's still repping behind Jones, Jacas, and Ponder. Still, with more preseason performance like he had last week, Swinson could solidify his roster spot as a situational pass-rusher.
- K Andy Borregales's 2-for-5 performance in the preseason opener has led to some discussion about the Patriots second-year kicker. However, Borregales has been better in practice, bouncing back with a 6-for-6 performance on the "skinny" goal posts on Saturday and is 9-for-11 on the narrow posts over the last two practices (about half as wide as standard goal posts). He'll be a top storyline in Week 2 of the preseason.
- OT Marcus Bryant has had a good summer as he pushes first-rounder Caleb Lomu for backup reps at both tackle spots, with both Bryant and Lomu getting cracks at right tackle when 35-year-old starter Morgan Moses is load managing. Bryant has great size and is light enough on his feet to force rushers to go around the outside. His foot speed to run rushers by the QB at the top of the rush is inconsistent and sudden movement across his face can give Bryant trouble. But Bryant will likely make the roster as a top-four tackle.
- CB Kobee Minor is competing with rookies Karon Prunty, Channing Canada and veteran Kindle Vildor for the last few spots on the roster at cornerback. Prunty's coverage and ball skills have impressed in his rookie camp while Vildor has NFL experience (27 career starts), so Minor is in a tough camp battle.
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
