Patriots Players to Watch Ahead of Preseason Week 1

The New England Patriots are preparing for what they hope will be a bounce-back season after a disappointing 2020. There are plenty of fresh faces in training camp, as they brought in a wave of rookies and were one of the busiest teams in free agency.

Now, it's almost time for the Pats to take the field for a game, albeit a preseason contest. They'll host the Washington Football Team for their preseason opener on Thursday at Gillette Stadium, the first of three matchups that New England will play prior to the start of the 2021 regular season.

How will the rookies look? What will it be like to see some of the new acquisitions in action? Which players are going to win the position battles and earn the final roster spots? These preseason games will give an indication of where the Patriots might stand at this point.

With the Patriots' preseason opener only three days away, here are a few players to keep an eye on heading into the matchup vs. Washington.

Mac Jones, QB

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Everybody is eager to see how Mac Jones will look leading the Patriots' offense. That may not happen at the start of the regular season, as head coach Bill Belichick has continued to say that Cam Newton will be the team's starting quarterback—even though Jones was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Regardless, Jones should get plenty of playing time during the preseason as the backup, and it will be exciting to see how he fares leading an NFL offense for the first time. And while he's not currently the starter, that hasn't stopped him from working hard in training camp.

"Cam's getting better every day, Mac's getting better every day. They're pushing each other," Belichick recently told NFL Network's Willie McGinest. "I think competition makes us all better. So, it's been healthy, and we'll see how it goes."

If Newton struggles and Jones excels during preseason games, perhaps Jones could still end up as the starter. But Jones may have to go out and play quite well to prove that he's ready for the NFL, so these preseason matchups could be important for the 22-year-old.

N'Keal Harry, WR

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It's been quite an interesting offseason for Harry, a former first-round draft pick who is heading into his third NFL season. First, his agent issued a statement that Harry wanted to be traded by the Patriots. Yet, since then, the 23-year-old wide receiver has actually been impressing in training camp.

In fact, Harry is even getting praise from teammates for his standout performances, with Newton stating that Harry isn't even yet "scratching the surface" of what he's capable of, according to Henry McKenna of Patriots Wire. 

While Harry may be showing that he could perform better after two lackluster seasons, it remains to be seen how long he'll stay in New England and whether he'll eventually get traded. But for now, Harry seems to be making the most of his time with the Pats, even if he previously made it clear he didn't want to play for them.

If Harry stays, he'll be battling for playing time in a receiving corps that added free agents Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, with several other key returners also in the mix. It should be interesting to see whether Harry can turn his practice performances into on-field success during the preseason.

Dont'a Hightower, LB

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It isn't yet known how much Hightower will play this preseason, but if and when he does, it will mark his first time stepping on to the field and going up against an opposing team since 2019. The 31-year-old linebacker is back with the Patriots this summer after opting out of the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Although the Pats struggled in his absence, Hightower has made it clear that he's ready to be back as New England looks to produce better results in 2021.

"I’m excited to be back," Hightower recently said, per Conor Roche of Boston.com. "I’m excited to play with the guys that I’ve been playing with. It’s been a different journey, but it’s been a fun journey."

Considering Hightower hasn't played in an NFL game for so long, he may have some rust to shake off. If that happens during the preseason, it's possible he may not look as strong as he once did, so that will be something to keep an eye on. Or there's also the potential for the Pro Bowl linebacker to pick up where he left off.