New England Patriots' Depth-Chart Predictions Ahead of Training Camp

If there's one word we can usually use to describe the New England Patriots, it's "consistent." The Patriots are consistent winners. Players like Tom Brady and Julian Edelman tend to perform at a consistent level when healthy and eligible.

New England consistently finds itself atop the AFC East standings.

Consistency can also be used to describe the team's roster. When head coach Bill Belichick finds starters he can place faith in, he usually sticks with them for some time. This is why many aspects of the Patriots roster remain unchanged on a year-to-year basis.

Well, things are actually a little different this year, seeing as how New England was perhaps the most active team in the entire offseason. Guys like Brandin Cooks, Dwayne Allen, Kony Ealy, Stephon Gilmore, Mike Gillislee, Rex Burkhead, David Harris and Lawrence Guy are all veterans and are all new to the team. The Pats roster in 2017 is going to look a lot different than it did the previous season, which isn't business as usual.

How will all these new additions affect the depth chart? We're going to examine that here on a position-by-position basis.      

Quarterback

Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press

Tom Brady

Jimmy Garoppolo

Jacoby Brissett

No surprises here. Tom Brady is a 12-time Pro Bowler, a two-time league MVP, a five-time Super Bowl champion and a four-time Super Bowl MVP. He's also coming off one of the best seasons of his illustrious career.

Despite missing four games in 2016, Brady still finished the year with 3,554 yards passing, 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Pro Football Focus rated him first overall among all quarterbacks last season.

The Patriots obviously like Jimmy Garoppolo. That's why he's still with the team as Brady's backup, despite drawing interest from other teams during the offseason. However, he isn't going to take over the starting job unless Brady suffers a significant injury.

Jacoby Brissett showed last season that he has enough talent to help the Patriots win in spot duty. He'll remain the third man up at the quarterback spot.

Running Back

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Mike Gillislee

Rex Burkhead

James White

Dion Lewis

James Develin (FB)

Realistically, the Patriots may not have a starter in the traditional sense. They have a talented group that may work best as a true committee.

However, former division rival Mike Gillislee probably will get the first crack at being the leading ball-carrier. He was the only back on the roster to log more than 100 carries last year, with 101. Former Cincinnati Bengal Rex Burkhead will probably be behind Gillislee in the pecking order based on their efficiency.

Football Outsiders rated Gillislee and Burkhead first and second, respectively, in rushing efficiency on a per-play basis last season.

James White and Dion Lewis will remain receiving/utility backs with smaller roles. However, this doesn't make the two any less important to the offense. The two combined for 77 receptions last season and more than 1,000 combined rushing and receiving yards.

James Develin signed a new two-year deal during the offseason and should remain the team's fullback.

Wide Receiver

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Julian Edelman

Brandin Cooks

Chris Hogan

Malcolm Mitchell

Danny Amendola

Matthew Slater

Andrew Hawkins

The Patriots traded a first-round pick to acquire wideout Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints this offseason. If the speedy deep threat isn't starting opposite Julian Edelman at wideout, there's something wrong.

Pro Football Focus rated Edelman and Cooks 31st and 27th overall among wide receivers, respectively, for the 2016 season.

Chris Hogan and second-year Malcolm Mitchell will likely split time as the third receiver when Edelman moves into the slot. Hogan has the speed to threaten deep on the outside, and the Patriots really seem to like the development of Mitchell. Don't be too surprised if Amendola spends more time as a return specialist now that Cooks has pushed him down the depth chart.

Matthew Slater, a special teams ace, should maintain a spot on the roster. However, his offensive role will probably remain limited. If the Patriots decide to keep a seventh receiver, it could be former Cleveland Browns standout Andrew Hawkins. He's one of the most agile slot specialists in the league and could force his way onto the roster.

Offensive Line

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Tackles: Nate Solder, Marcus Cannon

Guards: Joe Thuney, Shaq Mason

Center: David Andrews

Antonio Garcia

Ted Karras

James Ferentz

Jamil Douglas

Cameron Fleming

The starting lineup of left tackle Nate Solder, right tackle Marcus Cannon, center David Andrews, left guard Joe Thuney and right guard Shaq Mason should be back in 2017. The unit was rated 11th in pass blocking and third in run blocking by Pro Football Focus last season.

Rookie third-round pick Antonio Garcia should earn a spot as a depth tackle. Cameron Fleming may oust LaAdrian Waddle as the other backup tackle. He's had 10 fewer NFL starts than Waddle, but all have come with the Patriots.

Ted Karras, James Ferentz and Jamil Douglas should provide depth at the interior of the offensive line.

Tight End

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Rob Gronkowski

Dwayne Allen

James O'Shaughnessy

Rob Gronkowski appears back to 100 percent, so he's the team's No. 1 tight end without question. Dwayne Allen, who was acquired from the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason, should fill the No. 2 role held by Michael Bennett.

The Patriots also added former Kansas City Chiefs tight end James O'Shaughnessy in a draft-day trade. He should vie for the No. 3 spot. His competition could be former Wyoming tight end Jacob Hollister. The undrafted rookie had 515 yards receiving last season. He received $80,000 in guaranteed money from New England, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

It's more likely, though, that the Patriots try to sneak Hollister onto the practice squad. The team is more likely to keep blocking tight end Matt Lengel if it keeps four tight ends.

Defensive Line

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Tackles: Malcom Brown and Alan Branch

Ends: Trey Flowers and Kony Ealy

Derek Rivers

Lawrence Guy

Vincent Valentine

Geneo Grissom

Deatrich Wise

The interior of New England's defensive line should be quite similar to the unit we saw last season. Malcom Brown and Alan Branch were rated 17th and 22nd overall, respectively, among defensive tackles by Pro Football Focus last season. They should again man the middle with guys like Vincent Valentine and Lawrence Guy providing depth.

Guy, who was a 3-4 end with the Baltimore Ravens, should also be able to provide depth at D-end. He should back up top pass-rusher Trey Flowers and offseason addition Kony Ealy. Rookie pass-rusher Derek Rivers and rookie end Deatrich Wise should also provide depth.

Depending on how Rivers and Wise develop in training camp, one may push his way into the defensive end rotation. Flowers, Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long often operated in a three-man rotation last season.

Linebacker

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Dont'a Hightower

David Harris

Shea McClellin

Rob Ninkovich

Elandon Roberts

Kyle Van Noy

The core of New England's linebacker corps is Dont'a Hightower, who was re-signed on a four-year, $35.5 million deal this offseason. He can play both inside and outside and will likely see the most playing time among linebackers this season.

He should be joined in the starting lineup by former New York Jet David Harris. According to Damien Woody, a former Patriot, his longtime Jets teammate is a perfect fit.

"I think the world of David Harris", Woody said, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. "He will fit that culture perfectly. He's not a rah-rah guy. He's an excellent teammate, excellent locker-room guy. He has a high football IQ. He's never been the fastest guy on the field, but he is very smart."

Hightower and Harris may be the only real starters at linebacker for New England in 2017. Guys like Shea McClellin, Rob Ninkovich, Elandon Roberts and Kyle Van Noy all have value, but they may work best on a rotational basis.

Cornerback

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Malcolm Butler

Stephon Gilmore

Eric Rowe

Justin Coleman

Cyrus Jones

New England gave a five-year, $65 million contract to former Buffalo Bills corner Stephon Gilmore in free agency. The Patriots certainly didn't give that kind of money to a guy they don't plan on starting. However, Gilmore does believe he could see some time in the slot in sub-packages—as Logan Ryan did last year.

"I didn't play the slot much," Gilmore said of his time in Buffalo, per Andy Benoit of TheMMQB.com. "I'm pretty sure playing outside is harder. I'll do whatever the coaches want me to do."

When Gilmore is playing on the outside, he'll be playing opposite Malcolm Butler. Butler was rated fifth overall among all cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus last season, and the Patriots have no reason to move him from the starting position. By comparison, Gilmore ranked 61st overall in 2016, according to PFF (via ESPN.com).

Eric Rowe, who was rated 49th overall among cornerbacks by PFF, should fill in as the team's third corner. Justin Coleman and 2016 second-round pick Cyrus Jones should provide depth.

Safety

Bill Sikes/Associated Press

Free Safety: Devin McCourty

Strong Safety: Patrick Chung

Duron Harmon

Nate Ebner

We're likely to see the starting duo of Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung again, at least early in the season. However, backup Duron Harmon may sneak into the starting lineup at strong safety before the season or early in.

Harmon was rated 28th overall among safeties by Pro Football Focus last season while Chung was rated as the third-worst safety in the league. New England also signed the 26-year-old Harmon to a four-year, $17 million contract extension this offseason. Chung, though, has the experience to give him the early edge.

Last season, we saw McCourty, Chung and Harmon rotate a lot at the back end of the defense. Regardless of who actually holds the starting jobs, we're likely to see this three-man rotation again.

Nate Ebner should be on board as a depth player once again.

Special Teams

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Kicker: Stephen Gostkowski

Punter: Ryan Allen

Returner: Dion Lewis, Danny Amendola

Kicker Stephen Gostkowski had a bit of a down year in 2016. He made just 84.4 percent of his field goals and missed three extra points during the regular season. However the Patriots didn't bring in competition for him during free agency or in the draft, so he should retain the job.

Ryan Allen should return as the team's punter as well.

Thanks to the depth assembled at both wide receiver and running back this offseason, we're likely to see a lot more of Lewis and Amendola in returner roles this season. That's not great news for members of opposing special teams units.

All contract information via Spotrac.