Patriots mailbag: Who will be the team’s most impactful rookie?
Welcome to the pre-training camp Patriots mailbag. Good questions today on the rookies, tight ends, the MVP, and more. Let’s get to it.
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Who do you believe will be the most impactful rookie? What second-year player will make the biggest leap?
— Mike, Charlotte, N.C.
Caleb Lomu will end up being the most impactful rookie in 2026. Lomu, who saw plenty of time at right tackle (as well as some snaps at guard) during spring workouts, will push some of the veterans up front and will end up starting some games. Given what happened to Julian Hill and depending on how quickly he picks up the offense, tight end Eli Raridon also has a chance to make an impact.
When it comes to second-year players who could make a leap forward, I’ll rule out those who started and made a sizable impact last year (Will Campbell, TreVeyon Henderson, Jared Wilson, and Craig Woodson) and go with Kyle Williams. The speedy receiver has a chance to make a greater impact in the passing game, and a real splash as a kickoff returner.
It seems tight end is still an area they need to improve going into the season, especially after the Julian Hill injury. That said, I keep reading rumors that the Pats are interested in Las Vegas’s Michael Mayer. Is there any substance to these rumors?
— Chip Huckins, Westmoreland, N.H.
Not as far as I can tell, but even with their decision to sign first-year tight end Mitch Van Vooren on Wednesday, there’s uncertainty behind Hunter Henry (Mike Vrabel hinted as much during minicamp). The plan right now is to give Raridon every chance to distinguish himself as TE2. If he can’t, they’ll likely look for someone, potentially Mayer, in free agency.
Which players will be, or should be heavily scrutinized during this Patriots training camp?
— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.
I’d go with (in no particular order) Campbell, Harold Landry (if/when he gets on the field this summer), A.J. Brown (chemistry with Drake Maye), Christian Gonzalez (questions about his contract), and Gabe Jacas (how much did sitting out this spring hurt his development at a position of need).
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Why are you guys in the media so obsessed about the MVP award in all sports? ESPN starts hyping the MVP after the first game of the season. The MVP to me is pretty much meaningless unless it’s the MVP of the Super Bowl. I just don’t get it.
— Thomas Hayes, Boston
It’s a definitive statement of the best player in the league. Now, in the NFL’s case, it’s pretty much become the default award given to the best quarterback (that’s a separate discussion), but it’s a simple way to honor the player voters think was the best in the game for that one year. In the case of 23-year-old Maye last year, it also was notable because of his age, as the list of MVPs 24 or younger is absurdly small. Every retired player who has won the MVP before turning 25 is in the Hall of Fame.
Here’s a thought for you to get a laugh from the Patriots for a backup tight end idea. In the past, they’ve used Thayer Mumford. Why not look at Dametrious Crownover? The Steelers have a 300-pound tight end. Why not the Patriots? Crownover was both a tight end and an offensive lineman in college. If Crownover played both tackle and tight end, he would open up a roster spot. Just a thought that’s way, way out of the box.
— Steve Beatty, Florida
Love the thought process, Steve. Crownover would be an excellent candidate to take over the tackle/tight end role vacated by Mumford in a mostly blocking capacity. Crownover’s position coach at Texas A&M said the rookie would be “ideally fitted” for the role.
“He’s versatile like that,” Aggies offensive line coach Adam Cushing said. “He’s an uncommonly gifted guy. They can check him in as eligible with his number and have him block or go out for the pass, and he’ll look right at home when doing it.”
I thought the Pats opted for too many depth pieces instead of possible starters in the draft. The one exception hasn’t shown up yet in Jacas. Is it likely this draft won’t match the previous one?
— Tim C., Charlestown R.I.
It won’t, at least in terms of immediate dividends. I was always taught that if you get three immediate starters in a draft, it’s a good one. For the Patriots, the 2025 draft yielded Campbell, Henderson, Wilson, and Woodson. That’s really impressive. This time, the roster has fewer holes, which means (among other things) fewer opportunities for rookies. This year’s group will yield contributors. The only difference is you may have to wait a year or two for them to really make an impact.
Some questions have been condensed and edited for clarity.
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