Watch CBS News

2020 Patriots Questions: Which Rookie Excites You Most?

BOSTON (CBS) -- We have finally reached Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season, which is the beginning of a new era for the New England Patriots. In addition to all the unknown that will go with teams playing football during a pandemic, the Patriots are going through quite the change in personnel with Cam Newton taking over for the departed Tom Brady.

No one really knows what to expect in 2020, from both a Patriots standpoint and a league standpoint, but we're going to take a crack at it anyways. The WBZ-TV and CBS Boston Sports team will be answering a handful of questions regarding the Patriots as we count down to kickoff Sunday afternoon against the Miami Dolphins.

Up next: Which of New England's many rookies on the roster excites us most heading into the season?

Steve Burton, WBZ-TV Sports

Kyle Dugger.

Dan Roche, WBZ-TV Sports

Kyle Dugger. You talk to his head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University and he'll tell you this kid has a chance to be special. Coach Drew Cronic seems to think contributing at safety may be a two year project, but he's excited about his return game.

Would love to see Dugger "wow" Pats fans and the league with his punt returns.

Levan Reid, WBZ-TV Sports

The rookie that excites me the most is tight end Dalton Keane. He's tough, can block and also looks like he can help out in that full back role. Both he and Devin Asiasi have been fun to watch in camp but there is something about Keane's game that's different.

Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

Without much depth at the position, the rookie duo of Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene at tight end is intriguing. I think Josh McDaniels didn't have his most creative year last season, but a new shape to the offense might generate some creativity in that great offensive mind. We'll see if these two young tight ends can help with that.

Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston

Gotta go with the team's first pick in the 2020 draft, Kyle Dugger. I don't think he'll do much on defense, but he could be a dynamic weapon on special teams, both as a return man and as a hard-hitter.

More Patriots Questions: Who Will Be MVP? | Who Will Break Out On Defense? | Who Will Leading Receivers In Yards, Touchdowns? | Who Will Lead Charge Out Of The Backfield?

You can watch the Patriots kick off their 2020 season Sunday on WBZ-TV — the home of the New England Patriots! Coverage begins Friday night at 7 p.m. with Patriots All Access and kicks off Sunday at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay. The Patriots and the Dolphins square off at 1 p.m., and stick to WBZ-TV after the game for Cam Newton's first postgame press conference on Patriots 5th Quarter!

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.