New England Patriots: Three Standout Preseason Performers
The Patriot's Thursday night preseason game was our first glimpse into some of the new-look Patriots, and despite a rough offensive game that ended in a loss, there were a few standout individual performances. Anfernee Jennings, Outside Linebacker. The former Alabama product was drafted by the Patriots in 2020 in the third round, and through […]
The Patriot's Thursday night preseason game was our first glimpse into some of the new-look Patriots, and despite a rough offensive game that ended in a loss, there were a few standout individual performances.
Anfernee Jennings, Outside Linebacker.
The former Alabama product was drafted by the Patriots in 2020 in the third round, and through three seasons has been mostly invisible. However, he was incredible in last week's preseason matchup. The team seems to like Jennings's growth as he is coming off a career-high 344 snaps in 2022.
Jennings flashed his disruptive upside as a pass rusher, and was able to make the opposing offensive lines life difficult. If Jennings can continue to grow, he may be part of the succession plan to Josh Uche, who is a free agent in 2024 and primed for a massive contract.
Keion White, Defensive Line.
In White's rookie debut, he was a force, registering three pressures in just 15 pass-rushing snaps. That is an elite pressure percentage, and he finished as the 9th-best pass rusher according to PFF out of 90 eligible players, with a minimum of 25 total snaps.
The Patriots selected White in the second round of this April's draft, and they must be pleased with the early returns. White is an athletic freak, finishing in the 99th percentile for defensive tackles. More specifically, his relative athletic score would rank 14th out of 1,498 DTs since 1987. White won't exclusively play as an interior defender; he will see playing time all over the line. In terms of his athletic ability, he stands in rarified air.
In the clip below, you can see some of that athleticism. Outside of his pass-rushing prowess, his elite athletic ability will help the Patriots defend athletic QBs. In the clip above, associated with Anfernee Jennings, you can see some of his pass-rushing ability.
Jalen Mills, Safety.
Mills, who was brought to New England as a cornerback in 2021, is making a position switch to safety for the upcoming season. Mills split time at safety with Philadelphia in 2020 and had some bright moments. With Devin McCourty's departure due to retirement, Mills is getting the first opportunity to fill those big shoes.
His performance in the first preseason game was impressive; he made plays against the run and demonstrated his ability to read the quarterbacks' eyes and break on passes. He provided rookie QB CJ Stroud with his first "welcome to the NFL" moment by intercepting him early in the first quarter.
Featured image via Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
