The New England Patriots are approaching their first preseason game of the 2023 season on Thursday, which will be an important test for every player on the 90-man roster. Each player is fighting for a role and an opportunity to make the 53-man roster.
As each week passes, we will be taking a look at players or position groups and breaking down how they have been performing this summer.
Stock watching is a way of sharing what we see and how a player is performing or building off of their past performances. Generally, the more a stock drops, the lower their roster lock status becomes.
As with all roster moves, there are multiple facets that get taken into consideration, like contracts, draft status and positional need. Let’s take a look at who is up and who is down in the Patriots’ stock watch.
Stock up: WR Demario Douglas
Douglas has shown a burst and quickness this team has been lacking. He creates natural separation, and ever since the pads have come on, he has continued his upward trend.
I have high hopes for Douglas, who is ultimately carving out a role on this roster early.
His skill is unique in the wide receiver room, and although he is smaller, he offers something the team doesn’t have on the inside, a shifty receiver who can get open in a phone booth. The Patriots might have found a gem in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft, even after everyone clamored for them to take a wideout earlier.
Stock up: TE Hunter Henry
Henry looks primed to return to where he was during his highly efficient and effective 2021 campaign, when he first signed with New England.
He got down to his desired playing weight, and he has been Mac Jones’ favorite target in the red zone. Henry is looking to prove to everyone that 2022 was a fluke year due to the nature of the Patriots offense.
Stock up: G Atonio Mafi
Mafi has filled in quite nicely as the Patriots have struggled to keep their starting five offensive lineman together for a stretch.
Mafi was highly regarded as a guard after transitioning from the defensive side of the ball, and he has impressed thus far. Michael Onwenu hasn’t played yet, but Mafi should be a legit NFL guard for a long time. To me, he is an Onwenu clone with similar body makeup and playing style.
The Patriots could ultimately let Onwenu walk if Mafi continues his surge. I, for one, would rather see the Patriots kick Onwenu back outside and allow Mafi to start at right guard.
But hey, that would make too much sense.
Stock up: LB/S Marte Mapu
Since Mapu arrived in the spring, he has taken a lot of first team reps, shining as the hybrid linebacker/safety. His burst was something a lot of Patriots fans have been begging the Patriots to find at the linebacker position, and they may have finally got their wish.
He is still in a non-contact jersey, but hopefully, he will be able to ditch that soon. Mapu has the potential to be a tight end eraser and QB spy for the game’s elite early on. But he also has good pop on tape that should allow him to factor in on all downs in the future.
He has already added weight since being drafted and should continue to improve alongside veteran linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley.
Stock up: QB Mac Jones
Mac Jones is looking confident and comfortable in a competent NFL offense again. He has shown flashes of the 2021 version of himself during training camp.
One word that keeps being thrown around is trust.
It is clear that Bill O’Brien trusts Jones to run his offense and to collaborate on its improvement. Jones and the offense seem bought in. He is primed for a bounce-back 2023 season, which might even surpass his 2021 effort.
Stock Down: Tyquan Thornton
Thornton has had issues staying healthy since he came into the league last season, which many anticipated due to his slender frame. He has elite speed when he’s on the field, but he hasn’t been able to showcase it much so far.
The situation is even tougher with the emergence of rookie sixth-round draft pick receivers Demario “Pop” Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. They have all battled for that fourth wide receiver role behind DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne.
Thornton is not a risk for being cut just yet, but he is finding himself in a make-or-break next few weeks. These next few weeks could determine whether he is primed to be a star or quietly fading out of the league.
The rookie sixth-rounders have looked better than the 2022 2nd rounder. Go figure in New England.
Stock Down: TE Mike Gesicki
Gesicki was once considered a rising tight end in the league, but like the Patriots, he struggled in 2022 due to a poor offensive fit. He signed in New England to work alongside offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who loves to utilize tight ends.
Gesicki has shown flashes, but he is still learning the playbook and getting connected with Mac Jones. I do not think he will be trending down for much longer, but based on expectations coming in, he hasn’t really flashed as originally expected.
Stock down: CB Marcus Jones
Jones hasn’t looked terrible, but after a solid rookie season as a defender, you would expect a better leap. He is looking mismatched against the Patriots’ larger receivers, even on the inside. However, he has bounced around formations, proving his defensive versatility.
Jones, at minimum, is primed for the Myles Bryant role in this defense, and he will remain an elite returner on special teams. But there is work to be done to be a full-time slot corner.
Stock down: G Michael Onwenu
As mentioned earlier, Mafi has looked good. In fact, he’s looked good enough to potentially allow the Patriots to let Onwenu walk in 2024. The Patriots believe they can consistently turn out quality NFL lineman in the mid-to-late rounds (sometimes even undrafted), while letting veterans get a second contract elsewhere.
As much as I personally believe they should retain their homegrown talent, there is some substance to their belief. Onwenu is an elite level guard, but he could join the likes of Ted Karras, Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason, all of whom the Patriots let walk or traded away.
Stock down: Offensive line
The offensive line as a whole has yet to be fleshed out, but the right tackle position could affect the Patriots’ offense in a terrible way.
Mike Onwenu, Cole Strange and Trent Brown have yet to play together this season, and the Patriots have a lot of unproven depth behind them. I think Adrian Klemm has done a good job of coaching up the depth regardless, but the Patriots need to get healthy soon or Mac Jones will have a long season ahead of him.
