Projecting Patriots' offensive starters ahead of 2024 training camp

The fact that the New England Patriots made changes across the board on the offensive side of the ball this offseason was a no-brainer with the team coming off one of the worst NFL seasons in franchise history.

Things declined so badly on offense that it led to the parting of ways with legendary coach Bill Belichick back in January. The 2024 season will be the first effort of new head coach Jerod Mayo and lead personnel executive Eliot Wolf playing clean-up duty for an offensive catastrophe that has spanned two years.

They used the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft to select North Carolina’s Drake Maye as the future franchise quarterback. The follow-up to that move was drafting receivers and offensive linemen in hopes of surrounding their quarterback with the necessary help on the field.

Only one defensive player was taken in the draft that saw the Patriots pick eight offensive players. Will any of those players make an impact right out of the gate as starters?

These are the projected starters for the Patriots ahead of training camp, which opens on July 24:

Quarterback: Jacoby Brissett

Drake Maye might have been the No. 3 overall draft pick, but there’s no reason to think the Patriots are going to rush him onto the field. They’ll take their time in developing the rookie behind the scenes, while entrusting the offense to the veteran, Jacoby Brissett.

Isn’t this why they signed Brissett in the first place?

He’s the bridge option set to take the reins of the offense until Maye is ready. The Patriots having offensive line and skilled position issues isn’t exactly an ideal situation for a young quarterback.

Running back: Rhamondre Stevenson

Rhamondre Stevenson is the primary sledgehammer option in the offensive backfield for New England. The team is hoping he can return to the 2022 form that eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards. Durability concerns have been a problem, and depth could be an issue if Stevenson goes down with an injury.

Wide receiver: Ja'Lynn Polk

Rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk has the potential to make an immediate impact for the Patriots. He’s a reliable receiving option with the ability to make tough catches in traffic. There isn’t much flash to his game, but the same could be said about former Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers, who proved to be incredibly effective in New England.

Wide receiver: DeMario Douglas

DeMario Douglas might end up being the biggest impact player on offense for the Patriots this season. His ability to juke defenders out of their cleats and make plays with the ball in his hands is proof that he’s one of the biggest steals in the 2023 NFL Draft. If the sixth-round pick can take things to another level in Year 2, he could be a game-changer for the Patriots.

Wide receiver: Kendrick Bourne/K.J. Osborn

Kendrick Bourne was the Patriots’ leading receiver before going down with a torn ACL last season. There’s hope that he’ll be back on the field by the start of the season, but if he hits a roadblock, former Minnesota Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn will likely fill the role at receiver.

Osborn managed to stand out last season in an offense with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison putting up monster numbers. There’s hope that rookie Javon Baker can work his way into the mix as well.

Tight end: Hunter Henry

Hunter Henry is still one of the better tight ends in the league, and his numbers should improve with better quarterback play. He’s a big red-zone target with the ability to serve as a security blanket for Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye on got-to-have-it downs.

Center: David Andrews

David Andrews, who is one of the leftover relics from the Patriots’ dynasty, is still one of the team’s most dependable offensive linemen. He’s a veteran who has seen it all in some of the biggest games in NFL history. The fear for the Patriots comes with the depth behind him. There aren’t many believable options to serve as the anchor for the offensive line right now.

Guard: Michael Onwenu

Michael Onwenu has been playing at guard during the spring practices. The Patriots initially moved him to tackle out of necessity, but there’s no question that he makes for a much better guard than tackle. Granted, they could kick him back outside on the line if the other tackles struggle.

Guard: Sidy Sow

Sidy Sow got plenty of meaningful reps in 2023, and that should continue this season as well with Cole Strange still sidelined because of a knee injury. There’s hope for a second-year leap for Sow, who showed real promise as a rookie.

Tackle: Chukwuma Okorafor

Chukwuma Okorafor didn’t blow anyone away at right tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but so far, he might be the best option for the Patriots at their vacant left tackle spot. It isn’t necessarily an ideal situation for New England, but the Pats have failed to fill the position after losing Trent Brown in free agency to the Cincinnati Bengals. They’re basically taking a let’s see what happens approach.

Tackle: Caedan Wallace

Caedan Wallace got opportunities with the starting offensive line throughout the spring practices, and that is likely to continue into the season. The rookie tackle was mostly overshadowed by the No. 11 overall pick of the draft, Olu Fashanu, at Penn State.

However, Wallace is clearly a talented player in his own right looking to carve a path of success in New England. Whether that path is ultimately on the right or left side of the offensive line remains to be seen, but initially, he’ll be the Patriots’ starting right tackle.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Projecting Patriots' offensive starters ahead of 2024 training camp