New England Patriots: 5 players poised to breakout in 2018

Every season there are unexpected players who step up for the New England Patriots and make a name for themselves.  Who will it be in 2018?

As the NFL offseason heads into training camp, the New England Patriots are hoping all the off-the-field drama simmers once the media and fans turn their attention to what’s going happening on the field.

After losing Super Bowl LII to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Patriots entered the offseason with a lot of question marks.  With those questions came speculation and with that speculation came much uncertainty about the Patriot Way as well as the makeup of the team.

While much of that uncertainly starts with Bill Belichick and his relationship with both Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, there are a lot of other questions to be answered during training camp.

Some of those questions will center around some important position battles and others will be aimed towards players returning from injury.  How will Julian Edelman bounce back?  What’s going on with Malcolm Mitchell?  How will Derek Rivers look?

Those questions, as well as how newcomers like rookie running back Sony Michel and veteran edge rusher Adrian Clayborn fit in will also be areas of focus.

But one main question that arises at the start of every season is which players will break out.  Every season, there are a few players who exceed expectations and players who live up to expectations.

The New England Patriots certainly have a plethora of players they would like to see step into stardom.  If they do, some of those position battles will be answered.

If healthy, these are the five players I believe are poised to break out in 2018 and take some of that attention off the constant rumblings surrounding Belichick, Brady and Gronkowski.