6 Patriots Who Won't Survive the Preseason

3. Trysten Hill, DT

When it comes to pure talent, Trysten Hill is a player who should be able to make a name for himself in the NFL.

The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder was a force when he played for Central Florida — but wasn't always on the field. He had issues with the coaching staff, who questioned his football character. He was even relegated to the bench in his final season.

Hill was able to earn favor with Rod Marinelli, who was the defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys at the time. Marinelli convinced the front office to give Hill a shot, making him their top pick at No. 58 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft (they were without a pick in Round 1 due to the Amari Cooper trade). It wasn't long before Hill wore out his welcome with Marinelli and was in the dog house there as well.

In addition to his work ethic being questioned, Hill struggled with durability. He played in just 25 games in four years before they moved on. Since leaving, he appeared in six games with the Arizona Cardinals and was with the Cleveland Browns during the 2023 preseason. He signed with New England in 2023, appearing in just one game — and recorded no statistics.

He's back for a second season and there will be moments he appears ready to turn a corner. He even showed up with a tackle against Carolina. However, the Patriots have a lot of depth at D-tackle with Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore, Mike Purcell, and Daniel Ekuale as superior options. That's simply too much talent ahead of Hill for him to make it to the regular season. Perhaps he has another stint on the practice squad, but it's hard to see him getting too many more opportunities.