Patriots' Projected Winners of Key Position Battles

Cam Newton is listed as the No. 1 quarterback on the New England Patriots' unofficial depth chart. But rookie Mac Jones is impressing in training camp. Who will be under center when the team begins the 2021 regular season on Sept. 12?

That's one of the biggest decisions that the Pats face as they try to finalize their roster and figure out depth chart for the upcoming season. There are also some other battles taking place, with players looking to earn either starting jobs or at least spots on the 53-man roster.

New England opened its three-game preseason slate with a 22-13 win over the Washington Football Team on Thursday, which gave the team an opportunity to evaluate its players in a more competitive setting. The Patriots still have road matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles (Thursday) and Giants (Aug. 29) to come, which could help them figure out some of the tough decisions they are facing.

Here's a look at how several key battles are going during camp for New England, along with projected winners.

Quarterback

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Newton struggled in his first season with the Patriots, but the team's offense has greatly improved since then. So maybe the 2015 NFL MVP could have a bounce-back year if given the opportunity. He went 4-of-7 for 49 yards in limited action in New England's preseason opener.

Meanwhile, Jones was taken with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 draft, making it clear he will be the team's quarterback of the future. The only question is how soon will that be? He impressed against Washington, going 13-of-19 for 87 yards in his first taste of NFL action.

During an appearance on Get Up on Friday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Newton "is the favorite, but he's got work to do" because of how well Jones is playing (h/t Dan Lyons of The Spun). It's unclear exactly what Jones needs to do to win the starting job, but it at least seems like a possibility.

Still, Newton deserves another chance to lead the Patriots offense now that there are some playmakers for him to utilize. New England might also prefer to let Jones start the year as the backup before taking over down the stretch while seeing whether Newton can recapture his old form.

This could go either way, but the guess here is that Newton will be under center in Week 1.

Projection: Newton earns the starting job.

Wide Receiver

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Last year, New England's receiving corps was one of its weakest units. But it used the offseason to bolster the group with playmakers capable of helping the team put up better offensive numbers in 2021.

However, there are still starting jobs and roles to be decided. Nelson Agholor was New England's most notable offseason acquisition, and he will likely be No. 1 on the depth chart. But the other two jobs are less clear, especially with so many options for the Pats to choose from.

Like Agholor, Kendrick Bourne was signed during free agency. Jakobi Meyers, N'Keal Harry, Matthew Slater and Gunner Olszewski are among the returning receivers from last season.

Harry's time in New England may be nearing an end, though, as he requested a trade in July. Regardless, he hasn't lived up to expectations as a 2019 first-round pick, so even if he stays, his role may be significantly reduced.

Although the competition is between a handful of guys, Meyers and Bourne seem like the clear top choices to start alongside Agholor, which is a noticeable improvement from 2020.

Projection: Agholor, Meyers and Bourne earn starting jobs.

Kicker

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Nick Folk is out because of injury, and that could be the opportunity that Quinn Nordin needs to prove that he should be the Patriots kicker in 2021. Folk is a 13-year NFL veteran, while Nordin is a rookie out of Michigan who signed as an undrafted free agent.

While experience is on Folk's side, Nordin impressed during New England's preseason opener. Although he missed one of his two extra-point attempts, he went 3-of-3 on field-goal attempts, which included booting a 50-yarder. But Pats head coach Bill Belichick isn't ready to reveal whether a kicker change may be imminent.

"Quinn has gotten better. He's worked hard," Belichick said, per Ryan Hannable of WEEI. "But again, it's really about consistency at that position. We're getting there. We'll see what kind of progress he continues to make."

Even though Folk fared well last year, he's been inconsistent in his career. The 23-year-old could solidify the position for years to come, which will be too enticing for the Patriots to pass up heading into the season.

Projection: Nordin earns the starting job.