Patriots Elevate Joe Giles-Harris, Mitchell Wilcox for Week 10

The New England Patriots elevated two players from their practice squad for their Week 10 game against the Chicago Bears. Linebacker Joe Giles-Harris and tight end Mitchell Wilcox will be active for New England on Sunday. The team announced on Saturday that newly acquired defensive end Yannick Ngakoue would be out for New England. Ngakoue hasn’t practiced with the Patriots after being claimed off of waivers on Friday.

Joe Giles-Harris

Giles-Harris was one of the Patriots standouts during training camp. His 84.2 grade from Pro Football Focus for the preseason was the second highest among all New England defenders, behind only Oshane Ximines. This marks the second elevation of the season for the linebacker. He played in the Week 3 loss to the New York Jets. Giles-Harris played 23 snaps in that game (nine on defense and 14 on special teams) and recorded two tackles.

New England elevated Giles-Harris out of necessity due to a linebacker shortage. The Patriots ruled Christian Elliss out and released Raekwon McMillan.

Also Read – Meet the Newest New England Patriot: Yannick Ngakoue

Mitchell Wilcox

Wilcox received his second elevation this season. He played in the Patriots Week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The promotion of Wilcox comes as more of a surprise. The three tight ends on New England’s 53-man roster were not listed on this week’s injury report. Rookie tight end Jaheim Bell made his first NFL reception last week, though Wilcox’s value likely comes on special teams, where he played exclusively during his previous elevation.

This week’s elevations indicate some good news for the New England Patriots players listed as questionable against the Chicago Bears. That list included offensive linemen Vederian Lowe, Michael Jordan, and Layden Robinson. Not elevating any offensive linemen means somebody from this group will be available. It is a good sign for safety Marte Mapu as well. With Kyle Dugger already ruled out, New England likely would have elevated Mark Perry if they believed Mapu would be unavailable.

The New England Patriots (2-7) visit the Chicago Bears (4-4) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.