Here are my Patriots rookie power rankings for the regular season:
1. Malcom Brown – he just might already be their best big defensive tackle and should pair with Dominique Easley to form a deadly combination inside at times. Still, there will be plenty of rotation with the other bigs like Siliga and Branch, but Brown looks like the real deal.
2. Tre Jackson – should immediately start at right guard and has looked very solid in the preseason. Won’t be without mistakes but he’s a very solid piece who should lock down that spot for the next four seasons at least.
3. Jordan Richards – Richards is already playing fast out there and does not hesitate to attack the line of scrimmage. He trusts what he sees already which is rare for a rookie. He’s not going to start over Patrick Chung, but given Chung’s injury history it wouldn’t be out of the question for Richards to play a lot this season, at least as a third safety.
4. Tre Flowers – bit of a log jam at defensive end but Flowers looks strong and explosive. They’ll find a way to get him on the field on defense every game, but it might take an injury for him to log a ton of playing time.
5. Shaq Mason – such an interesting player, he’s a beast in the run game but still needs to work on his pass protection. Very curious if he can keep his starting spot that he’s had since the start of training camp. Where Ryan Wendell ends up will play a big part in that, but Mason should be a starter before long in his career.
6. Joe Cardona – He could probably be number one overall because he’s stepped right in and done well. Had one bad snap against the Panthers, but otherwise has been immediately rock steady as the long snapper.
7. Geneo Grissom – Maybe just a notch below Flowers at DE, but has flashed plenty of potential as well with strength and athleticism. He might be looking at mostly special teams this year, but still looks like he has a bright future.
Xzavier Dickson is playing linebacker and will probably be headed to the practice squad.
Darrell Roberts had a very good camp and looked primed to make the team before a significant wrist injury against the Saints. He’ll probably end up on IR.
A lot of people love receiver Chris Harper but after reviewing all his catches and returns yesterday I don’t think he’s going to make the 53-man roster. Should get a shot at the practice squad but he needs a lot of work, especially blocking where he was overpowered multiple times this season. Still, good hands and seems to know how to get open, but we’ve seen plenty of these kind of guys in the past who tear it up on the second team and are never heard from again.
