5 Position Battles to Watch For at New England Patriots Training Camp 2026: Offense

The 2026 offseason has presented an opportunity for the New England Patriots to build around a strong young foundation of talent that led them on an unexpected run to Super Bowl LX in Mike Vrabel’s first season as head coach.

Through free agency, the NFL Draft, and trades, New England has upgraded several starting positions and ensured stability around starting quarterback and MVP runner-up Drake Maye. More than just the starters, the Patriots have introduced 45 new players onto the preliminary 90-man roster that will be taken into training camp.

Those names include the likes of A.J. Brown and Kevin Byard III, but also encompass a much larger number of darkhorse candidates to make the team when the cutdown to 53 begins in late August. From the “Y” tight end to nose tackle and special teams, New England will have a host of new faces competing for a shrinking number of open spots.

Over the next two days, we’ll be taking a closer look at the most crucial battleground positions that will decide roster spots — beginning today on the offensive side of the ball.

Here are five position battles to watch for on offense during New England Patriots’ training camp 2026:

Currently Rostered (6): Tanner Arkin (Rookie), C.J. Dippre, Hunter Henry, Julian Hill (IR), Eli Raridon (Rookie), Jack Westover

The battle for the second tight end role — or, more specifically, New England’s “Y” blocking tight end role — will be one of the most closely watched competitions at training camp, but it didn’t initially project to be when spring practices started.

Free agent acquisition Julian Hill’s season-ending injury during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) changed the dynamic of the Patriots’ plan at tight end for the 2026 season, and it remains unclear how that will ultimately be resolved. Hill was signed to fill in as the Y tight end following Austin Hooper’s departure, but that will now be a job for the taking at camp.

New England selected tight end Eli Raridon in the third round (95th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft, and while the rookie has the size and athleticism to earn playing time, questions about his physicality at the point of attack may limit the number of reps he sees on the line of scrimmage early. Raridon is the most likely candidate, but as he works up to speed in the offense, Jack Westover has taken the majority of first-team reps next to Hunter Henry in the wake of Hill’s injury.

Undrafted Rookie Free Agents C.J. Dippre (2025) and Tanner Arkin (2026) will look to disrupt the room and earn playing time with their larger frames and willingness to mix it up as additional blockers in the running game.

The Patriots have invested in youth at tight end the last two offseasons to build a more stable rotation behind Hunter Henry, and that will now be put to the test early on in 2026. Many have speculated that New England would bring in veteran help at tight end, but for now, it appears the young guys will have the opportunity to earn a more significant role in the offense through camp.

Currently Rostered (6): TreVeyon Henderson, Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison, Jam Miller (Rookie), Myles Montgomery (Rookie), Rhamondre Stevenson

Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson are set to resume their roles as the bell-cows of the Patriots’ backfield in 2026, but who joins them in the room is still somewhat a mystery.

Terrell Jennings served as New England’s de-facto RB3 last season as a regular practice squad call-up that earned his way onto the 53-man roster. Jam Miller (seventh round, 245th overall) and Myles Montgomery (UDFA) were added to compete for the job this summer, as well.

But through the spring, none of them have been the leader in the clubhouse.

2025 UDFA Lan Larison has been heavily involved behind Stevenson and Henderson, continuing the momentum he showed toward making the roster last offseason before landing on season-ending injured reserve on Aug. 10. The former UC-Davis Aggie set the school record for single season all-purpose yards (2,387 in 2024) and career all-purpose yards (6,504) in 50 career collegiate games, and was an equally effective receiver as he was a runner in college.

Larison (5'11", 209 lbs.) showed good vision between the tackles and reliable hands on underneath throws in his limited time on the field with the Patriots last fall. He strung together days of good practices and followed that up with a touchdown in New England’s first preseason game against the Washington Commanders. After signing as one of the highest-paid UDFAs in franchise history, he made a legitimate push to make the roster before landing on IR.

Now, it appears he’s picking up right where he left off when his season was cut short. The third running back role looks to be Larison’s to lose, but in any case, the Patriots will have a stable of young running backs to fall back on with practice squad call-ups.

Currently Rostered (12): Kayshon Boutte, A.J. Brown, Efton Chism III, Nick DeGennaro (Rookie), Kyle Dixon (Rookie), Cameron Dorner (Rookie), Romeo Doubs, Demario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Jimmy Kibble (Rookie), Jeremiah Webb, Kyle Williams

The future of New England’s wide receiver rotation lies with the fate of Kayshon Boutte.

After the Patriots traded for A.J. Brown, the top-end of the room took a major leap forward — and provided more clarity for the supporting cast’s roles around him. Brown will be the clear-cut WR1 in Foxboro, with free agent acquisition Romeo Doubs slotting in as Stefon Diggs’ replacement behind him.

Mack Hollins will almost assuredly continue to be featured in the offense after leading all New England wide receivers in snaps taken last season. Hollins’ wide frame (6’4”, 221 lbs.) gives Maye a large target in the passing game and lends itself well to McDaniels in the running game. He’s a key cog in the Patriots early-down operation, and will continue to be.

More is expected of 2025 third round pick (69th overall) Kyle Williams this year after finishing his rookie campaign with 10 receptions, 201 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Even with limited production, Williams’ 30% snap share in the offense in 2025 is likely to receive a bump in 2026.

After four receivers comes a line of division for the room, and where the Boutte conversation begins.

At worst, Boutte would slot in as the fifth receiver in New England’s rotation in 2026. At best, he could earn a job as the team’s WR2 — which is where he aligned for the majority of his 11-on-11 reps on the one day of mandatory minicamp that he participated in.

More likely than not, Boutte will be traded before the start of the 2026 regular season. In that case, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III would likely fill out the WR5 and WR6 spots on the 53-man roster by cutdown day.

If Boutte remains on the roster and plays out (at least some part of ) the final year of his rookie contract with the Patriots, he’d be the disruptor in the room. That could be to the team’s benefit with elevated talent on the field, but Boutte’s reps as a lame duck would stunt the development of other players in the room (i.e. Williams).

That would also alter the future of at least one other receiver projected to make the roster, as well. Assuming the team only keeps six wideouts on the 53-man roster, Boutte’s inclusion would almost assuredly lead to a head-to-head battle between Douglas and Chism for the final receiver spot.

Douglas also enters 2026 in the final year of his rookie deal, but the coaching staff has commented on a heavier workload for him moving forward and he led the team in targets during spring practices. He’d be the favorite in that camp battle.

For Chism, he likely wouldn’t last long on waivers and would be a claim candidate for other receiver-needy teams if he doesn’t make the initial 53-man roster. It would be nice to have him waiting on the practice squad with another year to develop, but that’s probably not a realistic outcome.

Chism’s future in Foxboro may depend on Boutte’s. The latter would provide New England an immediate additional boost to the room’s top-end talent; the former would grant the team time to continue developing a receiver with future years remaining under contract.

Currently Rostered (8): Marcus Bryant, Will Campbell, Dametrious Crownover (Rookie), Sebastian Gutierrez, James Hudson III, Caleb Lomu (Rookie), Lorenz Metz (Rookie - International Player Pathway Program), Morgan Moses

New England spent the last two offseasons rebuilding the offensive line, and now have their deepest developmental pipeline on the perimeter in recent memory.

In 2025, the Patriots brought in Morgan Moses at right tackle via free agency and drafted Will Campbell to start at left tackle with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft. The duo will resume their roles in 2026, but the rest of the group around them looks different now.

This offseason, New England traded up to the 28th overall pick in the NFL Draft to select Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu — a collegiate left tackle who is in the process of switching sides to eventually become Moses’ replacement on the right side. In the interim, it is expected that Lomu will serve as the team’s swing tackle when a substitute is needed for either starter.

After those three, there’s a wide open competition for the fourth offensive tackle, but a heavy investment at the position seems to indicate that there will be one. Last year, Vederian Lowe and Thayer Munford were the primary backups at tackle, with sparing practice squad call-ups from seventh round pick Marcus Bryant (220th overall).

Lowe and Munford are no longer with the team, and the competition around Bryant has taken new form. The Patriots doubled-down at tackle in the NFL Draft for the second consecutive season with their selection of Dametrious Crownover in the sixth round (196th overall), and they added James Hudson III in free agency. Hudson has the edge in experience and versatility to kick inside to guard, but Bryant showed flashes in the preseason last year and Crownover possesses the athletic traits necessary to project a high ceiling.

The fourth tackle spot is up for grabs between those three players, and any of them can make their case for it come training camp.

Currently Rostered (9): Ben Brown, Mekhi Butler, JonDarius Morgan (Rookie), Mike Onwenu, Jacob Rizy (Rookie), Andrew Rupcich, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Caeden Wallace, Jared Wilson

Lingering concerns surrounding the New England’s offensive line lie on the interior, where the starters look rock solid on paper, but have dealt with frequent absences due to injury.

That’s especially the case for free agent signing Alijah Vera-Tucker, who has suffered three season-ending injuries in five career seasons, including in 2025 with a torn triceps. Jared Wilson also missed time during his rookie season, and will be adjusting to playing a new position professionally again.

Behind Vera-Tucker, Wilson, and Mike Onwenu is “super-sub” Ben Brown, who earned a contract extension with the Patriots in 2025 after serving as a reliable replacement at each of the three interior positions during his time in Foxboro.

If New England only keeps eight offensive linemen, it’s trending in the direction of four tackles and four interior players. That would leave the Patriots light along the interior of the line, and with multiple starters that have to be monitored, probably isn’t a position they’d like to be in. Still, we’ve already seen them experimenting with the idea, as Lomu shifted to left and right guard during mandatory minicamp team periods.

At this point, that may be the team's plan: keep Vera-Tucker, Wilson, Onwenu, and Brown on the inside, and have Lomu waiting to align at guard if a second substitute is needed. In that case, Lomu's rookie season would be spent as a backup at four different spots along the offensive line.

Should New England keep a ninth offensive lineman as insurance, it would almost certainly be another interior player. Andrew Rupcich was next in line for most of the spring, with Caeden Wallace, Mekhi Butler, and UDFAs JonDarius Morgan and Jacob Rizy rotating in sparingly (with Rizy primarily aligning at center).

This could be a spot where the Patriots add outside help, but considering Lomu’s movement early in the spring, it seems more likely that New England opts to go with eight offensive linemen and stash a few additional bodies on the practice squad.

But, we’ll see if anyone turns heads when the pads go on.

The Patriots worked to proactively upgrade at several starting positions on offense this spring — arming Drake Maye with the most talented supporting cast he’s seen through this point of his young career and fueling aspirations for another leap forward this fall. Now, New England’s attention turns to the roster’s middle class, where development plans for supplemental pieces can pave paths toward more significant contributions later.

Next up, we’ll continue our examination of the top position battles at Patriots training camp with a closer look at New England’s defense.

Which offensive position battles will you be watching for when Patriots’ training camp kicks off later this month? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.

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