The Patriots will kick off their 2026 preseason on Thursday at Gillette Stadium in a matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Although most starters will not be suiting up, there are still plenty of players fighting for roster spots. Here are five of those players I will have my eye on later tonight.

Wide Receiver, Kyle Williams

With starters on both sides expected on the sidelines for Thursday’s preseason opener, wide receiver Kyle Williams will get an opportunity to face lesser competition. Williams is, by all accounts, a backup himself, but his elusiveness and quickness are not typical backup qualities.

Throughout the summer, we have seen the former Washington State pass catcher look good running with the second team offense. He has built a good connection with probable starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, which is something we are yet to see form with Drake Maye.

I expect Williams to start the game, as I don’t anticipate seeing much of A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte. The second-year receiver doesn’t have to score to make his day a successful one; however, it would be disappointing if he didn’t flash at some point.

Runningback, Hassan Haskins

The Patriots turned over their depth at running back in a series of roster moves the team made on Wednesday. One of which was signing former fourth-round pick Hassan Haskins. Haskins was drafted by Mike Vrabel’s Titans but was unable to establish himself as a runner in Tennessee.

Haskins rushed for a mere 93 yards on 25 carries during his rookie year. He missed all of 2023 and was released by Tennessee before the 2024 season. Haskins is coming off a 2-year stint with the Los Angeles Chargers, which didn’t go much better for him. The 26-year-old ran for just 137 yards in two seasons with Los Angeles.

While the rushing numbers are not impressive, Haskins can give the Patriots an option in the return game. The 6’2 back has a career return average of 23 yards, which isn’t a number that jumps off the table, but for 28 returns it would be a middle-of-the-pack average in the NFL.

Right now, the Patriots need all they can get at kick returner, and Haskins can offer some support. With Haskins signing just one day before the opener, there is a shot he is inactive, but teams don’t typically run advanced schemes in the preseason. I expect him to be out there.

Safety, John Saunders Jr.

He hasn’t been mentioned by many, but safety John Saunders Jr. is quietly having a solid camp. Saunders has been on the receiving end of two practice-ending picks, with one coming from DeVito last week and the other from Colts’ backup Riley Leonard.

Saunders is someone who has almost a year in the Zak Kuhr/Terrell Williams defense and played in a few games for the team last season.

The former Miami Dolphin, with a good preseason, could take control of the team’s fourth safety spot, which has no current front runners. Mike Brown, brought in this offseason, was a leader for the third spot heading into camp but has since fallen into the ‘I forgot he was on the team’ category. His poor summer has given Saunders an opportunity to emerge.

4. Running back, Terrell Jennings

The Patriots came into camp with the third running back spot unoccupied, and three weeks later, that remains true. Second-year back Lan Larison led the charge for most of the summer until Terrell Jennings returned from the Non-Football Injury list.

Jennings jumped in as the third runner initially, but as the days went on, it became more apparent that the team was rotating the spot between Larison, Jennings and seventh-round draft pick Jam Miller.

Any way you shake the order up, the results come out the same, and they will tell you that none of the three guys have flashed enough to get consistent reps in the position. Eventually, one will end up flashing, or the Patriots will have to pick out of those three, or more, names.

To me, Jennings is the most likely candidate, and his ‘run for RB3’ is going to have to begin in the preseason opener. Jennings is the only one out of the three to have NFL experience as not only a running back but also a returner.

Before suffering his season-ending concussion, the third-year back was a consistent sight at the goal line for kickoffs. The play in which he suffered the aforementioned head injury was a 39-yard return.

While any of the three contending running backs could have been the fourth player, I believe Jennings has the best shot at securing the spot.

5. Linebacker, K.J. Britt

One of the more shocking things to play out during camp has been the lack of usage linebacker K.J. Britt has been getting with the first and even second-team defenses.

Britt signed a one-year deal this offseason, and many, including myself, thought he would be the Jack Gibbens replacement. When watching the film, Britt’s physicality stood out in the run game. With a strong summer, I thought he could end up pushing Christian Ellis for his starting job.

I could not have been more off, as Britt is buried on the depth chart and has been repping as the sixth linebacker.

On Thursday, we’ll find out if Britt is actually buried or if the team intended to give younger and less experienced linebackers more opportunities during camp. This can be learned by how late the former Dolphin plays in the game. If he’s still on the field in the fourth quarter, his chances of making the roster are slim.