With just 50 days until the New England Patriots season opener, let’s take a look at the 50 most important players and coaches in 2017.
The New England Patriots are contenders to win another Super Bowl in 2017. They haven’t lost much, but they have added talent on both offense and defense. Bill Belichick and his staff will surely have the team ready for Week 1 as training camp and preseason games progress.
Here, I took a crack at ranking the 50 most important Patriots players and coaches for 2017. I’m sure some of you will disagree, and that’s ok. Where do you think each player should rank?
50. OLC Dante Scarnecchia
Offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia is one of the most respected coaches in the NFL. His talent is second to none, and he’s always a valuable asset as he aims to coach the men who must protect Tom Brady. Scar will have all of his starters from 2016 returning, so an improvement from last season should follow.
49. LB Jonathan Freeny
Jonathan Freeny will see his fair share of playing time, but he isn’t in the top tier of the linebacking corps. I believe Freeny is a roster lock, but he isn’t the type of player you’ll see on the field for over 60% of defensive snaps.
48. LB Shea McClellin
Like Freeny, McClellin will see time on the field, but there are others ahead of him. Shea is extremely athletic so Bill Belichick could look to use him in some unique ways.
47. FS Nate Ebner
While Nate Ebner can play safety on occasion, his impact for the Patriots is felt on special teams. The rugby star is a physical freak and his ability to run down return men is second to none.
46. LB Elandon Roberts
Elandon Roberts seems to be just a step ahead of Freeny and McClellin. Expect to see him on the field a ton this season alongside Dont’a Hightower. Roberts will look to take a step forward, building off of a solid 2016 campaign.
45. DT Vincent Valentine
Last season as a rookie Vincent Valentine appeared in 13 games while tallying 11 tackles and 1 sack. In his sophomore season, the New England Patriots will hope for a spike in production. Valentine should earn more playing time behind Alan Branch and Malcolm Brown. A successful season should see him finish with 25 tackles and 2 sacks.
44. DE Geneo Grissom
Grissom may end up buried on the Patriots DE depth chart. Trey Flowers is certainly ahead of him, as is Kony Ealy. Grissom should be competing with rookie Derek Rivers for playing time, but I think Rivers will have the edge.
43. OL Cameron Fleming
Cameron Fleming is a crucial backup offensive lineman. If anyone is injured during the season, Fleming is the first man up. His value as an emergency starter is absolutely necessary to have to win in the NFL.
42. FB James Develin
James Develin doesn’t receive much praise, but he should. In a league where the true fullback is disappearing, Develin remains. He will lead the way for James White, and newcomers Rex Burkhead and Mike Gillislee.
41. ST Matthew Slater
Once again, Matthew Slater will make the team as a pure special teamer. He is relentless in his pursuit of the ball, and that’s exactly why he is the perfect Bill Belichick player.
40. QB Jimmy Garoppolo
At all times, we are just a play away from Jimmy Garoppolo being the starting QB for the Patriots once again. While we certainly want Brady to remain upright, Garoppolo is a great backup. His importance can also be felt on the practice field, as his mobility allows him to be used as a scout QB for other starters throughout the league.
39. DE Lawrence Guy
Former Ravens end Lawrence Guy was added to aid the Patriots pass rush in 2017. Last season with Baltimore Guy tallied 10 tackles and a sack. New England will look for the 27-year old to improve those numbers going forward.
38. DE Derek Rivers
Rookie Derek Rivers out of Youngstown State will have to adjust to the speed of the NFL game, but he is extremely athletic and could develop into a star pass rusher. I think he will be right behind the starters in terms of playing time.
37. LB Kyle Van Noy
Kyle Van Noy proved last season that he deserves a ton of time on the field. Between Detroit and New England, Van Noy appeared in 14 games in 2016 with 30 tackles and a sack. As the season went on, he seemed to grow more and more comfortable with the Patriots, so I’m looking for a big jump from Van Noy.
36. DT Malcom Brown
Malcom Brown will be in his third season in 2017. In each of his first two seasons, he tallied 3 sacks, which is just where you’d expect him to be going forward. The big bodied defensive tackle will be crucial against run-heavy teams this year.
35. CB Justin Coleman
Justin Coleman has played his way into the 5th CB role, which should grant him a significant amount of playing time. Against spread teams, Coleman will be called upon to step up and make plays. In 2016 he made 8 tackles in 10 games.
34. RG Shaq Mason
Shaw Mason will be a key cog in the Patriots rushing machine. From the right guard spot, he will likely lead the way on plenty of Mike Gillislee runs. Offensive lineman are extremely important in the NFL, and if Mason continues to improve each season he may become one of the best in the NFL.
33. K Stephen Gostkowski
Don’t expect Gostkowski’s 2016 struggles to continue in 2017. I fully expect a bounce back year from this kicker as he returns to elite status.
32. RB Dion Lewis
Dion Lewis will certainly see a dip in his playing time this season with the additions of Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead. That said, Lewis is always a threat as a pass catcher out of the backfield and Josh McDaniels can be creative in finding ways to get the ball into his hands.
31. CB Jonathan Jones
In 2017, I think Jonathan takes a step forward as the 4th CB on the team. As a rookie in 2016, Jones appeared in all 16 games, making a significant contribution on special teams. He should be able to compete with and beat out Justin Coleman.
30. WR Danny Amendola
Danny Amendola wants to remain a Patriot forever. He continues to restructure his contract, which allows the team to bring in more and more talent. With the addition of Brandin Cooks and the breakout ability of Malcolm Mitchell, Amendola will be a bit further down the depth chart. Still, he will make plays when he’s called upon by Tom Brady.
29. LG Joe Thuney
Joe Thuney is a lot better than Ted Karras, so let’s hope he can stay on the field this season. Another year in the system should help Thuney improve going forward.
28. LB Rob Ninkovich
Rob Ninkovich has seen a drop in his playing time and his numbers over the past few seasons, but his veteran presence is critical. I’d like to see Nink finish the season with 5 sacks and 30 tackles. That should be labeled a success for him.
27. LB David Harris
The New York Jets are going to learn quickly that they made a mistake by releasing linebacker David Harris. He should step right into a starting role with New England. With the Jets last season, Harris had 62 tackles in 15 games.
26. DE Kony Ealy
Kony Ealy should be a starter on the edge, at least to begin the season. A change of scenery from Carolina could be just what he needs to turn his career around.
25. TE Dwayne Allen
Newcomer Dwayne Allen should be a solid backup behind Gronk. With the Colts, he had 6 touchdowns last season. Look for him to be on the field with Gronk in a ton of two TE sets.
24. WR Chris Hogan
Chris Hogan was a pleasant surprise last season after joining the team from Buffalo. He was huge in the playoffs and should see an even larger role on the Patriots offense in 2017. I have him right behind Malcolm Mitchell on the WR depth chart.
23. SS Duron Harmon
Duron Harmon finds himself on the field a lot of the time, as the Patriots spend a lot of time in a three safety set. Harmon’s abilities as a safety allow New England to move Devin McCourty up closer to the line to vary the looks they show opposing offenses.
22. C David Andrews
David Andrews has been a great find as a center for Tom Brady. He has the position locked in as his own for many years to come.
21. SS Patrick Chung
Since returning to New England from Philly, Chung has been a great player. Last season he had an interception and a sack to go along with his 48 tackles.
20. RB Rex Burkhead
Before Gillislee, Rex Burkhead was the big addition to the RB corps. Burkhead will still see plenty of action, but I think he’s behind both Gillislee and James White in terms of time on the field. Training camp and preseason games should give us an insight into the role he’ll play this season.
19. WR Malcolm Mitchell
Plenty of you will disagree with me, but I think that Malcolm Mitchell can make the jump to be the Patriots No. 3 receiver behind Edelman and Cooks. Last season as a rookie, Mitchell caught 32 passes for 401 yards and 4 touchdowns. I’m expecting 600+ yards and 6+ touchdowns for him in 2017.
18. CB Eric Rowe
Eric Rowe will be your No. 3 corner this season. Count on it. Last season the Patriots played Rowe in 9 games. He had 8 passes defended, an interception, and 20 tackles.
17. DT Alan Branch
Alan Branch has been the perfect replacement for Vince Wilfork. He doesn’t always appear in the stat sheet with huge numbers, but he clogs gaps. It’s tough for teams to run against a man like Branch.
16. RT Marcus Cannon
Again, offensive linemen are extremely important. Cannon will remain a starter and will lead the way for plenty of long runs for New England in 2017.
15. FS Devin McCourty
DMac is the ultimate Patriots player. It can be argued that he’s a top 5 safety in the NFL and in 2016 McCourty was again tremendous. He tallied 64 tackles to go along with his forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception.
14. WR Julian Edelman
Julian Edelman is no longer the No.1 receiver, but he is, of course, a Brady favorite at all times. In 2016 Jules caught 98 balls for 1106 yards. He should see an increase from his 3 touchdowns with Brandin Cooks demanding a ton of the defense’s attention.
13. DE Trey Flowers
Trey Flowers took a huge step forward last season with 7 sacks in 16 games. He came on strong later in the season, so a 10 sack season could be possible for Flowers in 2017. He is absolutely locked in as the starter this season on the edge.
12. RB James White
James White and Mike Gillislee will battle it out for the starting role in 2017, but for now, I give the edge to White. We all know what he did in the Super Bowl but in the regular season, he rushed for just 166 yards while adding 551 as a receiver. He should see a huge increase in his ground numbers this season.
11. RB Mike Gillislee
See above. One of these two, Gillislee or White, will set themselves up as the true No. 1 for the New England Patriots. With the Bills last season, Gillislee averaged 5.7 yards per carry. You can’t get much better than that!
10. LT Nate Solder
Big Nate Solder will be relied on once again to protect Tom Brady’s blindside. Overall, he’s the most important New England Patriots lineman in 2017.
9. TE Rob Gronkowski
Get ready for a huge Rob Gronkowski return in 2017. The addition of Brandin Cooks should allow Gronk to become even more wide open. TB12 will love having RG back as an option, and defenses will have trouble finding a way to contain both Gronk and Cooks at the same time.
8. CB Malcolm Butler
Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore is a great cornerback duo to have. Though he’s now the No. 2, there will be times when Butler will still match up against opponents top receivers.
7. CB Stephon Gilmore
Welcome to Foxboro Stephon! As the top CB on the roster, we as fans will expect big things. New England should boast one of the best defenses in the NFL this season.
6. OC Josh McDaniels
Josh McDaniels has the most options he’s ever had on an offense for 2017. Expect a ton of creativity and new looks from Josh this season.
5. WR Brandin Cooks
Brandin Cooks is the biggest new addition for the New England Patriots this season. He will be a true deep ball threat for Tom Brady, and he can lineup both on the outside and in the slot. Expect 8+ touchdowns for Cooks in 2017.
4. LB Dont’a Hightower
I’m so glad that Hightower is back with the New England Patriots. He is the true leader of the defense. In 2016, Hightower made 31 tackles with 2.5 sacks, but he’s not all about the numbers. Dont’a’s heart and leadership set him apart from every other player on the defense.
3. DC Matt Patricia
Matt Patricia has developed one of the best defensive schemes in the NFL. He should be able to create a lot of dynamic looks with the addition of Stephon Gilmore, and the play of Duron Harmon adds versatility for the use of Devin McCourty. I’m excited to see what Patricia brings in 2017.
2. HC Bill Belichick
Any questions why Belichick is ranked so high? Bill is the most important and the greatest coach in the NFL. There should be little debate that he is also among the greatest of all-time.
1. QB Tom Brady
TB12 only appeared in 12 regular season games last season, but in 2017 he’ll get to play them all. I’m looking at a season with 5,000+ yards and 38+ touchdowns. A sixth Super Bowl ring would cement Brady’s legacy and would end the debate, he is the greatest QB of all-time!
Next: Predicting the Patriots Week 1 roster
So, where did these rankings go wrong? How do you rank the top 50 players and coaches on the New England Patriots? Let me know on Twitter @CandCFanSided or @JakChowder!