Big day for the linebackers
Jul 30, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (30) walks to the practice field at the Patriots training camp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The competition at middle linebacker projected to be one of the best in this year’s camp. There hadn’t been much movement through five days, even into the first day of padded practices. However, a number of players made a statement on Tuesday.
Mack Wilson – acquired back in the spring in a one-for-one swap with the Cleveland Browns involving Chase Winovich – looked like the best player on the field regardless of position. A ‘sack’ (pass rushers aren’t allowed to hit the QB in camp, but it would have been a sack in a game situation), a lunging pass breakup, and a standup stick filling a hole in run defense highlighted what was a solid day overall.
Raekwon McMillan and Jahlani Tavai also made notable plays in the running game. Tavai’s involvement in particular stood out following comments from head coach Bill Belichick last night on Sirius XM NFL. “I think he [Tavai] will be a big factor for us this year, on all four downs; not just defensively but also in the kicking game,” Belichick said during the interview.
