6 Patriots Playing for Their Jobs in Training Camp

6. Mitchell Wilcox, TE

Much like the RB room, the Patriots' tight end group has a clear hierarchy at the top. Hunter Henry is still the TE1 after signing a three-year contract back in March while Austin Hooper — who signed a one-year deal as a free agent — is slated to be the TE2 due to the experience of having 122 games under his belt.

That leaves offseason acquisition Mitchell Wilcox competing with rookie Jaheim Bell for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. Although the former has more experience than the latter, it might not mean much when it comes to the final decision.

Known more for his blocking, Wilcox's offensive numbers don't exactly jump off the page. In 49 career games played with the Cincinnati Bengals, the former South Florida TE has only been targeted 35 times for 29 catches, 211 receiving yards, and one touchdown. While many fifth-year players have room for improvement, that's unlikely to be the case here given that Wilcox is turning 28 in November.

Meanwhile, Bell has shown plenty of offensive potential with 94 receptions, 1,231 receiving yards, and nine TDs in his last three collegiate seasons split between South Carolina and FSU. He might not be as good of a blocker as Wilcox, but that isn't an issue since Hooper's 81.5 pass block grade ranked fourth-best among every NFL TE in 2023, per Pro Football Focus.

Assuming that Wilcox brings his usual performance to training camp, it's hard to justify his potentially having spot on the 53-man roster.

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