3 Patriots Who Won't Survive the Season in New England

The New England Patriots certainly aren't just going to pack things in for the 2024 season before it even begins, but the main goal of this coming year for New England is evaluation. The Patriots are going to, at some point, get the chance to see what rookie quarterback Drake Maye can do. They are going to be in the process of evaluating which players can be part of the core for this roster now and into the future.

Because of that, it won't be shocking to see a variety of players who may have made the team initially end up being cut or traded as the season goes along. Which players might not be long for the Patriots' roster in 2024?

Let's look at a handful of notable names.

1. Chukwuma Okorafor, offensive tackle

There was a point during the 2024 offseason program where it appeared as though former Pittsburgh Steelers third-round pick Chukwuma Okorafor would be in line to start for the New England Patriots at the left tackle position.

The Patriots lost a number of offensive linemen this past offseason, including 2023 starting left tackle Trent Brown. Even though the Patriots got a glimpse of life without Brown for part of last season, they were forced to reevaluate the left tackle position in the 2024 offseason and Okorafor was going to be part of that equation.

Now, we're not so sure.

Vederian Lowe, who started some games for the Pats last year, is penciled in as the starting left tackle with Okorafor listed as his backup. But the Patriots used a waiver claim on former Denver Broncos undrafted free agent Demontrey Jacobs after his strong preseason. Jacobs has excellent athletic traits and length and is a developmental prospect who could end up pushing someone like Okorafor off the roster completely, especially with the presence of 2024 third-round pick Caedan Wallace on the roster as well.