New England Patriots Depth Charts 2021: Predicting Week 1 Starters

The New England Patriots had an abysmal 7-9 record last year, missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

When free agency opened, the New England Patriots weren't afraid to spend big to fix the issues that plagued them last season. Now, armed with free agency and 2021 NFL Draft picks, the Patriots will try to build their way back to the top of the AFC East.

New England Patriots 2021 Depth Charts

Here's is a position-by-position depth chart for the New England Patriots' offense and defense:

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Offense:

Quarterback: Cam Newton, Mac Jones, Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer

Running Back: James White, Sony Michel, Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson

Wide Receiver: Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, N'Keal Harry, Tre Nixon, Matthew Slater, Kristian Wilkerson

Tight End: Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry

Center: David Andrews

Left Guard: Michael Onwenu, William Sherman

Right Guard: Shaq Mason

Left Tackle: Isaiah Wynn

Right Tackle: Trent Brown.

Defense:

Edge Rusher: Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Chase Winovich

Defensive Tackle: Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise

Linebacker: Dont'a Hightower, Raekwon McMillan, Ja'Whawn Bentley

Safety: Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger

Corner: Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones.

Special Teams:

Kicker: Nick Folk

Punter: Jake Bailey

Long Snapper: Joe Cardona

Kick/Punt Returner: Gunner Olszewski.

New England Patriots Depth Chart Analysis

Quarterback: The Patriots re-signed Cam Newton on a one-year deal shortly before the draft. They already had backup Jarrett Stidham on the roster and then drafted Mac Jones out of Alabama in the first round.

With three quarterbacks already on their roster, the New England Patriots signed veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer on a one-year contract last week. Newton should break training camp as the starting quarterback.

Running back: James White and Sony Michel will likely return as the starting running backs. Damien Harris is also an option at running back as well as rookie out of Oklahoma, Rhammondre Stevenson.

Wide Receiver: The New England Patriots signed free agents Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne to multi-year deals this off-season. With N'Keal Harry enduring two disappointing seasons since being drafted, the Patriots needed to bolster their spot on the roster.

Tight End: Another position the New England Patriots added to in free agency was tight end. The Patriots signed Jonnu Smith, who spent the last four seasons with the Tennessee Titans, and Hunter Henry, who had been with the Chargers since 2016. Giving Newton two more offensive weapons, who are veteran tight ends, is a great way to give the Patriots' offense the explosiveness it once had and sorely lacked last season.

Offensive Line: At the offensive line, Trent Brown was traded back to the New England Patriots this year and will play right tackle. Isaiah Wynn is in at left tackle and David Andrews at center. There are a few options at guard, with Shaq Mason at right guard and Michael Onwenu and/or William Sherman at left guard.

Defense

Edge: Matt Judon signed a four-year deal with the New England Patriots after spending five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Judon will join Kyle Van Noy and Chase Winovich in the hope of creating some disturbance in that defense.

Defensive Tackle: A highlight at tackle is Christian Barmore, who was drafted in the second round out of Alabama. He could be an asset if not this year, definitely in the future, with Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise Jr. ahead of him on the depth chart.

Linebacker: The Patriots have a pretty solid lineup of linebackers, with Dont'a Hightower, Raekwon McMillan and Ja'Whawn Bentley all set to start week 1.

Safety: Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips are on either side of safety, as well as Kyle Dugger.

Corner: With Stephon Gilmore, JC Jackson and Jonathan Jones all veterans in the secondary, they could see the most game time. But Joshuah Bledsoe, a sixth-round pick out of Missouri, looks like he could move up the depth chart in the future.

Special Teams:

The Patriots special teams until was a spot on the roster that didn't need any help this off-season. Punter Jake Bailey has been a two-year starter and made the All-Pro Team last season, as did kick-and-punt returner Gunner Olszewski. Veteran Nick Folk will likely have kicking duties, and Joe Cardona could be the long snapper.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

Know More

New England Patriots Nation! Check out the latest Patriots Schedule and dive into the New England Patriots Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Bhargav