It’s not an ideal offseason for the New England Patriots to expect their draft picks to immediately contribute, but some rookies already are standing out in training camp practices.
Safety Kyle Dugger, linebacker Josh Uche and tight end Devin Asiasi appear to be competing for starting roles in New England despite an utter lack of spring practices.
The lack of organized team activities and minicamp makes this offseason easily comparable to the 2011 NFL lockout year. Players at least were able to meet virtually this spring. There was a preseason in 2011, however.
Offensive tackle Nate Solder started 13 games as a rookie in 2011.