FOXBORO -- Ahead of Thursday night's preseason opener, let's lay out some of the more intriguing Patriots players to keep an eye on against the Panthers at Gillette Stadium.
Rookie QBs
The Patriots likely know what they have in their two veteran signal-callers Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe, which makes keeping eyes on the rookies an obvious choice. But there are two questions in particular that I'm most interested in when it comes to expectations for Drake Maye and Joe Milton.
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With Maye, how long will he play?
Head coach Jerod Mayo will have to pay close attention to how Maye is being protected and make a determination as to how much the rookie first-rounder is going to work. Preventing "sacks" in camp practices has been a problem, particularly for the reserve offensive linemen on the roster, and therefore it might not be a good idea to roll with the future face of the franchise for an extended period of time if they can't hold up.
For Milton, the question is this: Will he have the opportunity to flash his impressive physical gifts?
He hasn't had many chances to air it out in practices lately. His arm strength is apparent, though, as is his athleticism when he breaks the pocket to run. He has split third-team reps with Zappe for much of training camp, but if he's given an extended stretch of playing time Thursday, he should be able to cook up a splash play or two. And maybe even a backflip.
Ja'Lynn Polk, wide receiver
The rookie second-round pick has looked like a savvy vet at times in camp. He's been perhaps the team's most steady receiver in camp in terms of his availability and his performance. He makes the plays he should make, and he's flashed some high-level receiving chops as well with a couple of down-the-field catches, a contested 50-50 reception in the end zone, and a diving catch on third down in recent camp workouts.
He may not play long if starters aren't on the field for more than a few series. But he's earned that level of treatment given how he's looked in practices.
Javon Baker, wide receiver
The fourth-round rookie has been more of a splash-play generator. Early in camp, he seemed to make a play or two every practice that qualified as an eye-opener. Jump balls down the field. Diving catches. Even some of the incompletions sent his way are impressive; he laid out and somersaulted out of bounds while reeling in a Jacoby Brissett pass on Tuesday to get the crowd fired up... but he only got one foot down in bounds.
There may not be another position player on the Patriots roster Thursday who has as much wow-play potential.
Offensive tackles
Here's another obvious one. But, unlike the quarterbacks, it's not because of the levels of excitement they might generate. This is all about how much trouble can this position group avoid.
It feels unlikely that veteran tackle Chukwuma Okorafor will play after missing the last three practices, meaning there could be a lot of work available to Vederian Lowe, Calvin Anderson and Caedan Wallace. Lowe has been the most consistent of the bunch, with Anderson (who briefly missed some time with a lower-body ailment) not far behind. Wallace has had his share of rookie moments in camp, though he may be the most promising tackle to run with the second unit offense.
Other tackles who've blocked for second-string quarterback Drake Maye lately include undrafted rookie Zuri Henry and newly-signed (Aug. 2) free agent Kellen Diesch.
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Jaheim Bell, tight end
The rookie tight end made our "Stock Up" column on Tuesday after hauling in an impressive contested-catch touchdown from Maye while covered by Kyle Dugger. He missed the early portion of training camp with an undisclosed ailment, but he's an impressive athlete with the positional versatility to occasionally line up in the backfield and give the Patriots a fresh formational look.
Assuming the veteran tight end tandem of Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper will be given most of the night off, it'll be fascinating to see how Bell performs.
Terrell Jennings, running back
Of all the under-the-radar skill players who could end up seeing boatloads of playing time on Thursday, Jennings is perhaps the most interesting.
Undrafted out of Florida A&M, he was a broken-tackle machine in college. He racked up 4.6 yards after contact per attempt (second in the draft class) and 83.4 percent of his rushing yardage came after contact (third). He has run hard in Patriots practices, and the assumption here is that he'll take that hard-charging style to another level with an opportunity to try to win a job in his preseason debut.
Christian Gonzalez, cornerback
The Patriots know they have an uber-talented young corner to play on the outside for years to come. It hasn't necessarily been a dominant camp for him, though, with Tyquan Thornton getting the better of him occasionally throughout the summer.
How does Gonzalez look in a game situation? Is he trying new techniques? Is he testing things out so he knows what he can and can't get away with in the regular season? When the Panthers have the ball, seeing if Gonzalez ratchets things up will be worth watching.
Also, who's playing opposite Gonzalez early in this one could be noteworthy. With Marcus Jones missing some time of late -- presumed to be one of the team's top-three corners -- we've seen Jonathan Jones, Marco Wilson and Alex Austin all work out of the same huddle with Gonzalez. Wilson has been solid in camp after arriving to the team late last season via waiver claim.
Safety newcomers
Two names in particular here have impressed of late: Dell Pettus and A.J. Thomas.
Pettus is a highly-experienced undrafted rookie, having started a whopping 61 straight games at Troy. He's shown physicality in practices, he's gotten reps with the top defense, he broke up a pass to Hunter Henry deep down the field, and he recorded a "sack" as a blitzer earlier this week. If an undrafted rookie ends up making the roster, the best bet at this point might be Pettus.
Thomas, meanwhile, was signed on Aug. 2 after spending the spring with the UFL's Birmingham Stallions. He picked off a deflected Drake Maye attempt on Monday and then on Tuesday he helped create an interception by deflecting a Maye target for Baker. He also laid the hardest hit of camp to this point during a tackle-to-the-ground period, drilling receiver JaQuae Jackson on a pass thrown over the middle by Milton.
Oshane Ximines, linebacker
Nicknamed "Ox," Ximines has been unafraid to throw his weight around in training camp. A veteran of five seasons with the Giants, Ximines is pushing for a roster spot by showing some physicality both against the run and in passing situations.
Depending on how Matthew Judon's situation plays out, he could be in line for some significant work on the outside as part of a rotation with Keion White and Anfernee Jennings. Can he solidify a place on the roster with some big plays in preseason action? He'll have a chance Thursday.
Jotham Russell, defensive end
Russell represents one of the most entertaining stories in Patriots camp.
The 6-foot-4, 239-pounder is just 20 years old. He's a rugby player who hails from Australia, having played for the Currumbin Eagles, Tweed Seagulls U-21 team and the Brisbane Broncos development squad. Now that he's been selected for the NFL's International Player Pathway Program, he's trying to establish himself as a defensive end in the NFL.
He recorded a sack on a stunt working up the middle of the field on Monday and certainly doesn't look like a mere 20-year-old based on his frame.