After Week 9 it is clear who the New England Patriots need to start building their team around. These three players will be the stars of the team moving forward.
The New England Patriots were finally able to win a game on Monday night. Seeing that it is Week 9 and the Patriots just secured their third victory, shows just how much this team has struggled. But it isn’t all bad news for Patriots fans.
In 2020, we have seen some players burst onto the scene and see an increased role. They have been given an opportunity and they have used it to their advantage.
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This was most evident after Monday night. Fans saw who will lead the Patriots into the future. While the outlook moving forward doesn’t look as promising without Tom Brady, there’s still some hope for Patriots fans.
With players like Dont’a Hightower, Devin McCourty, and Julian Edelman nearing the end of their careers, New England needs to start planning ahead.
So who will New England rely on in the future? Look no further than these three players. They have the ability to be pillars of the organization.
The Patriots have something in Jakobi Meyers
These last two weeks, New England Patriots fans have seen the best of Jakobi Meyers, it has made everyone wonder why he wasn’t playing this much at the start of the season.
Ever since Week 7, we have seen Meyers improve. He has become a player that Cam Newton constantly looks for when throwing the ball.
Monday night was Meyers best game (it also happened to be his birthday). Newton was feeding him the ball and the wideout ended up with 12 catches for 169 yards on the night. Meyers could not be stopped.
Clearly, the N’Keal Harry experiment has not worked. He has struggled to adjust to playing in the NFL and his concussion history is worrisome. It seems too early to call him a bust but time is running out. Harry needs to start producing rather quickly.
But Meyers seems like he has the ability to take over as the top wide receiver. He is a quality route runner and is also able to gain separation and get open rather frequently. When it comes to the passing game, Jakobi Meyers is the future in New England.
New England Patriots have their running back in Damien Harris
It appeared that the New England Patriots had their feature back in Sony Michel. He was a driving force behind their last Super Bowl victory, but since then he has disappeared.
With Michel currently on Injured Reserve, Patriots fans have finally been able to see what Damien Harris is capable of. Watching the young back grow has been a treat, to say the least.
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Harris doesn’t mess around in the backfield. He runs downhill and is able to rack up yards at a quality rate (something Michel has struggled with). Harris is currently averaging over five yards a carry.
Already we have seen Harris have two 100 yard rushing games this season. Even when Michel is healthy, Harris should be the starter.
The Patriots still have James White who they will utilize in the passing game, but when it comes to establishing the run, Harris is your guy. The former Alabama running back has been able to prove that in a rather quick fashion.
With the Patriots still searching for their quarterback of the future, they will need to run the ball a lot more than fans are used to seeing. With Harris in the backfield that should excite everyone in New England.
J.C. Jackson has No. 1 cornerback potential
The New England Patriots will soon need another top corner. It seems as though Stephon Gilmore is approaching the end of his career in New England.
Gilmore will likely want to cash in and get one more payday before he retires. That payday won’t come from the Patriots, especially with Gilmore struggling in 2020.
With Gilmore also missing time due to injury, J.C. Jackson has been able to have an elevated role in the secondary. He seems ready to take over when Gilmore leaves.
Jackson has continued to be an amazing cornerback for the Patriots. He already has five interceptions as well as 19 tackles so far this season.
When it comes to cornerbacks it seems like Jackson is one of the best in the entire NFL not just New England’s roster. It was stunning to see that Gilmore wasn’t traded before the deadline. The Patriots just don’t need him anymore.
So even though the Patriots’ future seems to be in a precarious state, the team has some players that they can build around. The question is will New England acquire the right players to help these players flourish and be successful? We will just have to wait and see.