Six Pro Bowl Possibilities for the New England Patriots

No New England Patriots players were selected to the Pro Bowl in 2023. Patriots players Christian Barmore, Jahlani Tavai, and Jabrill Peppers were all worthy of consideration, but it is difficult to become a first-time selection from a 4-13 team. Following Matthew Judon’s trade to Atlanta, no players in New England made the Pro Bowl as a Patriot. Only tight end Austin Hooper has a Pro Bowl selection on his resume, which last occurred as a member of the Falcons in 2019.

The Patriots have not been shut out of a Pro Bowl selection in consecutive seasons since 1974-1975. Can they avoid it happening in 2024? There are certainly several players with Pro Bowl potential. Which players are most likely to get New England represented among the sports’ elite after the season?

Since the Patriots have won six Lombardi Trophies, making a top-six list seems more appropriate than stopping at five (okay, it was simply much easier to narrow down possibilities to six, instead of five). These are my six top candidates from New England to earn a roster spot in the Pro Bowl this season:

RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Statistics generally generate Pro Bowl nods when it comes to running backs. The New England Patriots declared themselves a “run first” team and showed just that in Week 1. Rhamondre Stevenson carried the ball 25 times, amassing 120 yards rushing and scoring the Patriots’ lone touchdown. Nobody should expect Rhamondre Stevenson to average 120 yards per game. If he kept up his Week 1 pace, he’d finish the season with 2,040 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. But in the past ten seasons, only one running back has rushed for 1,200 yards and not made the Pro Bowl. That was Seattle’s Chris Carson in 2019 (1,230 yards, seven touchdowns). If Stevenson averages 70 yards per game the rest of the season without missing time, he’d surpass Carson’s total and likely earn his first Pro Bowl berth.

Feed Rhamondre. @dreeday32

📺: #NEvsCLE on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/pjHIv4EAV8 pic.twitter.com/CostiklAHq

— NFL (@NFL) October 16, 2022

DE Keion White

Having a leap in production for second-year NFL players is not unusual. There are three players listed here that New England selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. The first is defensive end Keion White. In New England’s first game, White was arguably the best player on the field. He finished with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Like Stevenson, this is an unrealistic expectation every week. But White likely needs at least 17 sacks on the season to have a real chance. His competition for the three defensive end spots includes Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby, Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson, and Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. To earn a spot on the roster, White can’t just play as well as these established stars, he’ll need to play like a top-three defensive end in the conference in undisputable fashion. Week 1 showed that he’s capable of doing so.

CB Christian Gonzalez

Gonzalez has played only five NFL games. It is already clear that he is a special talent. Christian Gonzalez went up against A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Garret Wilson, and CeeDee Lamb in his injury-shortened 2023 rookie season. He won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month in the only month he played. In Week 1, he matched up with superstar Ja’Marr Chase and prevented any big plays. Like White, he faces an uphill battle due to the incumbents in his position. The four AFC Pro Bowl cornerbacks from 2023 are all still in their primes. There are two more Pro Bowl selections from 2022 still in the AFC. And Gonzalez is not the only up-and-coming corner in the conference ready to make his first Pro Bowl appearance. But if he can add some statistics (i.e., interceptions) to his outstanding coverage, Gonzalez won’t have to wait long for the call.

#Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez’s NFL matchups:

J. Chase: 20 Routes, 3 Rec, 15 Yards
G. Wilson: 23 Routes, 3 Rec, 18 Yards
T. Hill: 17 Routes, 0 Rec, 0 Yards, INT
J. Waddle: 4 Routes, 1 Rec, 15 Yards
D. Smith: 11 Routes, 2 Rec, 22 Yards, PBU
A. Brown: 19 Routes, 4 Rec, 47 Yards pic.twitter.com/gPunsyRS55

— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) September 9, 2024

P Bryce Baringer

Baringer improved as his rookie season progressed. The punter had a booming leg but his ability to pin opponents inside their own 20 kept getting better. In Week 1, Byrce Baringer averaged 50.0 yards on his five punts. Three of them landed inside the 20. Baringer posted a 45.6 net average. Last season he averaged 46.8 yards per punt with a 40.8 net average. Only 38.8% of his punts landed inside the 20. One week is a small sample size for 2024 but there is no reason to believe Baringer cannot keep it up.

RS Marcus Jones

Marcus Jones earned first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie punt returner in 2022. However, he was not selected for the Pro Bowl, nor was he the alternate as the AFC’s return specialist. This season, Jones is adding kickoff return duties to his plate. Handling both kickoff and punt return duties will give him more opportunities to impress. Playing a key role on an excellent defense, which is what he did against Cincinnati, will help with name recognition. Sadly, that is a factor in getting selected for the Pro Bowl. If Jones plays up to his capabilities in 2024, he might be the most likely selection from New England’s roster.

PUNT RETURN TD WITH 5 SECONDS LEFT! @Patriots

📺: #NYJvsNE on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/0M1xbb6fcp pic.twitter.com/zF3bFuvvpI

— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2022

ST Brenden Schooler

The NFL leader in special teams tackles for 2023 was Miles Killebrew of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished with 14 tackles, 11 solo. Killebrew earned AFC Pro Bowl honors on special teams. Brenden Schooler registered three solo special teams tackles in Week 1. Matthew Slater, who earned ten Pro Bowl nods with New England on special teams, retired after the 2023 season. Schooler learned from the best in the game for his first two seasons in the league. Now he looks ready to take his game up a notch while being recognized as the Patriots’ premier player in his role. After struggling as a special teams unit in 2023, the Patriots now have three legitimate Pro Bowl candidates on the unit in Baringer, Jones, and Schooler.

The New England Patriots are not going to get six players on the Pro Bowl roster, barring a season that shatters everyone’s expectations in the win column. But they have at least six players who will make strong cases for themselves this season. It is tough to see them getting shutout of the postseason honor for a second straight year.