Preseason preview: 6 players to watch tonight

Offense

Jimmy Garoppolo

After showing impressive flashes in the first three games, the rookie quarterback will get a chance to really strut his stuff tonight. Garoppolo will start and is expected to play the entire game. As Bill Belichick noted, this should serve as a valuable teaching moment, as Garoppolo will most likely have to respond to many different situations throughout the course of a game that he has yet to face during live action. His ability to consistently string together strong play and move the ball on offense will be largely what I'm looking for at this point, as I already know he has a quick release and accuracy for days. Also of note, there's a slight chance that means a series or two against the Giants ones, who played in last years preseason finale. That would be a significant step up from the level of talent the rookie has faced so far in the preseason.

Josh Boyce

Despite being a fourth round pick merely a year ago, Boyce finds himself firmly on the roster bubble entering cutdowns. He's clearly behind Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Thompkins and Brandon LeFell on the receiver depth chart, and special teams ace/nominal receiver Matthew Slater is a roster lock as well. It would be strange to see a player with Boyce's physical talent given up on so quickly, but the TCU product simply has failed to stand out on the field. He hasn't made many plays to stand out, and has faced some issues with penalties and drops. Furthermore, the odds of the Pats keeping a sixth or seventh receiver dramatically decreased with the addition of tight end Tim Wright, as adding another reliable pass catching option at tight end should reduce the number of four and five wide sets run on offense. Making a splash on special teams would dramatically up his odds, but the receiver has been behind rookie running back Roy Finch on the kick returner depth chart all summer. This means Boyce needs to start showing he can live up to his potential and in a hurry. He could be playing for his Patriots career tonight.

Josh Kline/Jordan Devey

In case you haven't noticed, the Patriots suddenly find themselves with a Logan Mankins-sized hole at left guard. Trading away a six-time Pro Bowler requires a lot of confidence in the depth at that position, something reiterated by Belichick's constant praise of the competition on the offensive line this camp. While one of Dan Connolly or Ryan Wendell could ultimately end up in Mankins old spot if Bryan Stork can win the starting center job, Kline and Devey are two young players who could win a starting job early with consistently good play. Kline was the top option as an undrafted rookie to fill Mankins role last year when injuries forced Mankins to play left tackle against Baltimore, and he's gotten a lot of reps with the starters this summer. Devey meanwhile has gotten a long look this summer after spending last year on the practice squad; he's started each of the team's three preseason games. Under Dante Scarnechia, the Patriots had a consistent history of turning undrafted prospects into quality, productive linemen. The team is putting a lot of stock in new offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo being able to maintain that history this year with Kline and Devey.

Defense

Jerel Worthy

Acquired two weeks ago in a trade with the Packers, Worthy flashed some good things in his Patriots debut last week against the Panthers. The big-bodied defensive tackle did a nice job of clogging up lanes against the run, and also showed some upfield push as a pass rusher. While Worthy faces an uphill climb to make the roster just on the basis of coming into the system so late, the odds against him decreased a little bit with the surprising release of Tommy Kelly. Now, with Vince Wilfork, Dominique Easley, Sealver Siliga and Chris Jones locks, Worthy could be battling Joe Vellano for a fifth tackle spot. As a much bigger player, Worthy could have a leg up due to his ability to relieve Wilfork and Siliga on early downs. Bill Belichick also seems to be high on Worthy's upside, as the Patriots gave the Michigan State product a long look in 2012, when the Packers made him a second round choice. If Worthy can finally turn it around with a clean bill of health and a better scheme fit, the Patriots might have gotten themselves a steal.

Zach Moore

Picked in the sixth round this year as a bit of a developmental project, Moore developed quickly enough this summer to make veteran Will Smith expendable. While he still has some work to do, Moore has impressive physical talent that has shown early in his pass rushing opportunities. At 6'6" and a listed 275 pounds, Moore has a lot of power to his game, something that's shown up both when moving inside on passing downs and setting the edge against the run. If all things go right, Moore won't see a lot of time as a rookie when the real bullets start flying, but he certainly has the potential to develop into a real contributor down the road. He's likely to see a lot of snaps tonight in what should be yet another step forward in his development.

Patrick Chung/Tavon Wilson/Duron Harmon

The one unsettled position on the defensive depth chart remains that starting strong safety spot next to Devin McCourty. Harmon seems to have at least secured a role as the best coverage player in this bunch, but could lose early down reps to either one of Chung or Wilson. Both of those players show up well against the run, but both have had their struggles in coverage. Chung has an edge experience-wise over Wilson, but Wilson brings additional value as a core special teams contributor. As one of the few position battles yet to be decided, it's worth monitoring what each player does with his opportunities tonight. Chung and Wilson in particular could be duking it out for one roster spot.