Patriots 53-Man Roster: Five Key Takeaways

Offensive Line Still Under Review

Once considerd their most significant postional liability, the Patriots offensive line will have a much-needed new look in 2025. Unsurprisingly, New England keeps nine lineman, with Will Campbell at left tackle, Jared Wilson at left guard, Garrett Bradbury at center, Michael Onwenu at right guard, and Morgan Moses at right tackle assuming the starting roles

Beyond their starting five, New England retained veteran Vederian Lowe as their swing left tackle, while rookie Marcus Bryant earned the top reserve spot on the right. Second-year lineman Caedan Wallace and veteran Ben Brown are the top depth options along the interior.

Surprisingly to some was the release of 2022 first-round draft choice Cole Strange. While the thought of moving on from Strange may fail to elicit any great regret from many within the Patriots fan base, it remains to be seen whether the team will easily fill the 6’5”, 310-pound lineman’s shoes. Not only are there few free agent positional options currently on the open market, New England’s in-house swing interior linemen have yet to prove themselves as long-term starters. 

Eight is Enough, while The Slot Awakens

In perhaps the biggest surprise of the day, New England decided to carry eight receivers on their initial 53-man roster. While some spots may be a bit more secure than others, the Pats’ depth at the position should not be devoid of praise. Led by two-time All-Pro Stefon Diggs, receivers DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Kayshon Boutte should be considered the team’s primary rotational pieces — with Baker playing a more prominent role on special teams. Bourne, if healthy, could provide New England with a strong, veteran presence.

Still, no team loves an underdog slot receiver story quite like the Patriots.

Particularly when running offensive schemes under the direction of current coordinator Josh McDaniels, slot receivers have been known to thrive. From ex-Pats such as Wes Welker to Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman, New England has been known to utilize players with the aptitude to find success both before and after the catch.

With his hard work, Efton Chism III appears to continue the trend as a prototypical slot receiver in McDaniels’ offense. Not only does he possess the agility to fluidly change direction, but he also is sure-handed and surprisingly strong at the catch point. After suffering a minor foot injury late in the preseason, the Patriots may choose to bring Chism along slowly. Still, his presence on the roster is a testament to his desire, devotion and discipline.

Swinson Swan Song?

In the wake of April’s draft, former LSU defender Brayden Swinson was considered to be a potential draft steal. However, the Pats decision to cut their fifth-round selection leaves the story of his NFL journey as yet to be told.

Swinson made his impact during his time at LSU. Last season, as a teammate of New England’s first-round selection Will Campbell, he earned second-team All-SEC honors, leading the team with 13 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks. Swinson played in all 13 games with 12 starts, logging 58 tackles, three passes-defensed and two forced fumbles. Just one year prior, his first with the Tigers, he notched 35 tackles with 6.5 being for a loss, two sacks, five passes-defensed, and two forced fumbles. When deployed in the pass rush, he was quick to attack the quarterback. If opposing linemen attempted to stack blocks for the run game, his speed allowed him to shed his opposition to defend the run.

Accordingly, Swinson was expected to provide an immediate upgrade to New England’s defensive line with both his speed and power. Unfortunately, he struggled to stand out among a robust group of Patriots pass rushers. His impressive collegiate performance makes him an unlikely candidate to clear waivers, and thus be available for the Pats practice squad.

Kicker Battle Ends to Little Surprise

While Patriots rookie Andres Borregales may have entered training camp with the slight edge in the kickers battle, incumbent Parker Romo certainly took the competition down to the last day.

Borregales showed flashes of future prowess throughout training camp. Still, his struggles garnered their share of attention. His 47-yard misfire against the New York Giants in the team’s preseason finale appeared to be a continuation from his performance against the Minnesota Vikings in preseason game two. He made one of his two field goal attempts during the win over the Vikings, a 51-yarder in the fourth quarter to extend the Patriots lead over the Vikings to 20-9. Still, the Pats rookie made as much noise for his miss — a wildly inaccurate 57-yard attempt which sailed wide-left in the second quarter.

On the surface, it was easy to point to preseason struggles as a reason to pass on the Patriots sixth-round draft prospect in favor of a more comfortable choice. However, New England remained cognizant of Borregales’ draft status, along with his long-term potential. Based on that premise, the competition to be New England’s primary kicker did not end with his 47-yard preseason misfire. Accordingly, New England’s kicking mission now belongs to Andres Borergales, should he choose to accept it.