8 Patriots to watch in preseason game vs. Eagles

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 13: Gabe Jacas #50 of the New England Patriots lines up during an NFL preseason football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Following a pair of joint practices, the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles will take things inside Gillette Stadium for preseason game No. 2.

After Drake Maye and the Patriots top offense received 61 competitive full-team snaps over two days of practice with the Eagles, the starters are not expected to play Saturday night.

As for who we will be watching closely with just eight days until roster cutdown day, here are eight players on our radar.

Running back: Hassan Haskins

Injuries in their backfield caused the Patriots to sign Haskins a day before last week's preseason opener. Thrown right into the fire, Haskins had some impressive moments on the ground and continued that into last week at practice. The former Mike Vrabel draft pick in Tennessee has good size (6-2, 228 lbs.) for a third running back and has contributed early on on special teams. He currently looks like the favorite to earn a spot behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.

Wide receiver: Kayshon Boutte

Despite Drake Maye and New England's regulars not suiting up in the preseason opener, Kayshon Boutte went on to play their first three drives (16). He finished without a target. As the 24-year old's future in New England remains unclear, Boutte's usage Saturday night will again be of note with Maye and Co. not expected to play.

Tight end: Tanner Arkin

After building momentum early in camp, Arkin has slowed down in recent weeks. That included some struggles in the preseason debut as the undrafted free agent was on scene for three runs stuffs as a blocker. With that being Arkin's strength and path to the roster, that will need to be cleaned up against the Eagles.

Offensive line: Caleb Lomu and the depth options

Lomu played all 39 snaps at right tackle in his debut last week. While he allowed just two hurries, the first-round pick had his fair share of ups and downs, even as New England didn't ask him to pass protect on many traditional drop backs. Lomu has continued to play both left and right tackle in practice of late, and will look to take a step forward in game action Saturday night.

Next to Lomu, the Patriots have seen plenty of turnover after losing top interior backups Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich to injuries last week. That, combined with struggles from depth guards James Hudson and Mehki Butler, led them to sign veteran Greg Van Roten this week. The group will look for a bounce-back performance against a deep and talented Eagles defensive line.

Edge rusher: Gabe Jacas and Co.

Second-round pick Gabe Jacas has progressed nicely as the summer has gone on. Jacas' size and physicality immediately stand out on the field but the rookie has expected room to grow when it comes to his awareness and play recognition - an area he struggled with last week vs. the Colts.

Fellow rookie Quintayvious Hutchins drew the start opposite of Jacas in the preseason opener but the speed rusher was relatively quiet with just one hurry. Hutchins will look to make more of an impact this week, while second-year pro Bradyn Swinson will also look to build off his strong preseason opener where he logged three pressure and a QB hit in the second-half.

Linebacker: Namdi Obiazor

The Patriots' linebacker group saw some rotational changes after the first preseason game, as Chad Muma struggled and suffered an injury that left him limited this week. Veteran K.J. Britt, who impressed last Thursday night, saw time with the first-team defense in addition to rookie Namdi Obiazor. The sixth-round pick will get plenty of run Saturday night on defense and special teams, where he remains on the top punt protection unit, as he looks to make his case for even more snaps moving forward.

Cornerback: Charles Woods and Kindle Vildor

With Christian Gonzalez sidelined, Charles Woods has remained the top cornerback opposite of Carlton Davis. But, Woods has struggled this past week returning from an injury of his own which led the team to turn to veteran Kindle Vildor at the end of Thursday's joint practice. While Vildor logged an interception on Wednesday, he allowed two catches on Thursday - including a touchdown - during the Eagles end-of-game red zone drive. New England will hope one of the veterans will bounce back to end the summer and confidently fill the CB4 spot.