Football has returned to Foxboro.
The New England Patriots opened training camp with rookies reporting to Gillette Stadium on Friday. Veterans will report on Tuesday and the first public training camp practice is scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET.
Before players hit the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium, NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran and The Boston Globe's Andrew Callahan predicted who would earn superlatives for their performances in camp. Their superlatives included MVP, most pleasant surprise, and biggest disappointment among others.
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For the camp MVP honor, Curran went with a second-year wide receiver.
"It's DeMario Douglas in a lock," he said. "He is going to be even better than last year when he was quite possibly the training camp MVP. I remember (Patriots safety) Jabrill Peppers, when we were in Green Bay, just saying, 'They can't bleeping guard you! They can't guard you, Pop!' He is so good."
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Callahan went with a cornerback who shined as a rookie last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
"Christian Gonzalez," Callahan said. "He's going to be the best player on the field. He's going to inspire belief in the defense. It has enough, but we haven't seen (Matt) Judon in a while.
"He's going to lock down a side of the field, granted the competition is a little watered down because the Patriots' wide receivers. But you're gonna look and say, 'That's the guy I saw shadow Tyreek Hill, then Garrett Wilson.' Then, of course, break his shoulder in Dallas, but he's going to be the MVP."
There's a good chance Douglas and Gonzalez are the Patriots' offensive and defensive MVPs during the regular season as well. They're already among the most talented players on the roster despite it being just their second year in the NFL.
Douglas, a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft, caught 49 passes for 561 yards in 14 games last season. Gonzalez notched an interception and three passes defensed in four games.
Both will play critical roles for the Patriots in 2024. Douglas headlines a crowded albeit unimpressive receiving corps that will catch passes from rookie Drake Maye or veteran Jacoby Brissett. Gonzalez leads a secondary that has serious question marks on the opposite side of the field.
Watch Curran and Callahan predict more Patriots training camp superlatives in the video below or on YouTube: