PLAYER TO WATCH: TE David Thomas - The soft-handed third-year tight end has battled injuries to start his career. But if he can stay healthy he could provide a nice complementary option for Tom Brady and the passing attack. Though he's not the athlete that starter Benjamin Watson is, Thomas has the ability to be a more consistent target.

DRAFT PICKS TO STICK

Rd. 1/10, LB Jerod Mayo, Tennessee - Mayo burst on the scene in the first preseason contest against both the run and the pass. He should start on opening day and be counted on heavily.

Rd. 2/62, CB Terrence Wheatley, Colorado - The quick corner is in a battle for playing time with veterans Ellis Hobbs and Fernando Bryant. If he can't earn a top job, he'll certainly get regular rotational and sub package work.

Rd. 3/78, LB Shawn Crable, Michigan - Crable could see action as a situational rusher, but he'll see the bulk of his playing time on special teams.

Rd. 3/94, QB Kevin O'Connell - O'Connell is a raw developmental talent who's not much more than an emergency option at this point.

Rd. 4/129 CB Jonathan Wilhite, Auburn - With the release of veteran Jason Webster, Wilhite not only will make the roster but could battle for playing time in sup packages.

Rd. 5/153 KR Matthew Slater, UCLA - Slater will get a chance to be the Patriots' primary kick returner and has shown the type of elite speed and fearless running that are required at the spot. He could change a game at some point.

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACK: Starter - Tom Brady. Backups - Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez, Kevin O'Connell.

Brady remains the best in the game, although he didn't take a single snap=

in the preseason and battled a sore foot. He might not be able to match the ridiculous numbers he put up last fall, but look for the passing game to pace the offense as long as Brady remains upright and under center. O'Connell is a raw rookie who's in a long term development. The two Matts, as they were known this summer in New England, did little to impress in the preseason as the battle for the backup job played out. Both are inexperienced, Cassel has held the job for the bulk of the last two years and Gutierrez may have a slightly greater upside. Whoever wins the job, the Patriots are in trouble if Brady ever goes down.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- Laurence Maroney. Backups - Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris, LaMont Jordan, FB Heath Evans.

Maroney came on late last season and looks to build on that momentum after a healthy, productive offseason program. He has shown flashes of elite ability, but has yet to come close to producing on a consistent basis and still must prove he can stay healthy. Faulk is a proven playmaker as a change-of-pace/third-down guy. Morris had a great, surprise start to last season before a freak chest injury landed him on IR. He's healthy and looking to surprise again. Jordan joined the team in training camp and should contribute in the passing game, with some backup carries and in the kicking game. He might have as much all-around talent as anyone in the group. Evans remains as a fullback, jack-of-all-trades type and special teams contributor.

TIGHT END: Starter - Benjamin Watson. Backups - David Thomas, Stephen Spach.

Watson has never developed into the playmaker New England thought he could be when the team selected him in the first round. His inconsistent hands and frequent injuries hold back his ridiculous athletic ability. Thomas has very good hands but has also battled injury. If healthy he could be a consistent option for Brady to fall back on. Spach joined the team last season and impressed with his ability to get acclimated on the fly. He'll get the chance to replace Kyle Brady as the blocking tight end, but his roster spot is a tenuous one.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters - Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney. Backups - Chad Jackson, Kelley Washington, Matthew Slater, Sam Aiken.

This group is top-heavy. Moss had a great camp and looks ready to have another great year working with Brady. Welker started camp with a groin injury and missed time with a rib injury late in the preseason. When healthy they will clearly be Brady's top options. Gaffney also has a good relationship working with Brady, but is forced into the starting lineup simply because Jackson has failed to develop. Gaffney is better suited to come off the bench and the weaknesses of his game could be magnified in increased playing time. Jackson still hasn't shown the ability to run crisp, timely routes that New England requires and remains a huge disappointment. Washington's primary contributions came on special teams last fall and will fill a similar role again. Slater is not really an option in the passing game and will likely be the primary kick returner. Aiken was a corps special teams player with the Bills but missed part of camp to injury and might not have done enough to carve out a roster spot.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters - LT Matt Light, LG Logan Mankins, C Dan Koppen, RG Billy Yates, RT Nick Kaczur. Backups - T Wesley Britt, G/C Russ Hochstein, G/T John Welbourn, C Mike Flynn.

Light finally hit the practice field last week after missing nearly all of camp to injury, so the All-Pro could very well be ready for the season. Mankins is a developing star at guard while he, Koppen and Light return after Pro Bowl seasons. Yates will step in for Stephen Neal, who starts the year on PUP with a shoulder injury. Britt is a swing tackle, backing up both spots, while Hochstein can fill all three interior roles. Welbourn and Flynn battle for a single job with the nod likely going to the more versatile Welbourn.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters - LDE Ty Warren, NT Vince Wilfork, RDE Richard Seymour. Backups - DL Jarvis Green, DL Mike Wright, DL Santonio Thomas.

The top three form arguably the best line in the game, even with Seymour battling injuries in recent years. The former All-Pro expects a bounce-back year from himself. If that happens along with the Pro Bowler Wilfork and consistent play of Warren, the Patriots' front line should dominate most games. Green is a valued backup and sup package pass rusher. He's not flashy but he does what the scheme asks and has made plays when called on. Wright is a great athlete and a key special teams contributor who can fill in on the line on occasion. Thomas has been in the system for a couple years and has the versatility, in a pinch, to play all three spots.

LINEBACKER: Starters -- LOLB Mike Vrabel, ILB Tedy Bruschi, ILB Jerod Mayo, ROLB Adalius Thomas. Backups - OLB Pierre Woods, OLB Shawn Crable, LB Larry Izzo, ILB Eric Alexander, ILB Gary Guyton, OLB Vince Redd.

Vrabel returns after his best season as a pro with 12.5 sacks. After time=

inside in recent years he proved dominant on the outside. Thomas looks to do the same in 2008 after spending the bulk of his first season in New England on the inside. Bruschi remains as the signal caller and veteran presence, although his playmaking days are long gone. Mayo is an intriguing rookie with a huge upside. Woods seems to have made the jump in his third season and is the top reserve on the outside, although the rookie Crable could see some situational pass-rush work. Both will contribute in the kicking game, where both Izzo and Alexander will do the bulk of their work. Undrafted free agents Guyton and Redd have surprised in camp and are on the roster bubble, although both are more likely to end up on the practice squad. The wild card in the group is Junior Seau, who's still pondering his future but has said he will only return to the NFL for the Patriots.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters - SS Rodney Harrison, FS James Sanders, CB Ellis Hobbs, CB Fernando Bryant. Backups - FS Brandon Meriweather, SS John Lynch, CB Terrence Wheatley, CB Jonathan Wilhite, DB Antwain Spann, CB Lewis Sanders, CB Mike Richardson.

The starters return at safety with the aging Harrison and the developing Sanders. Hobbs had two offseason surgeries (shoulder, groin) but is also back to start even if he's be less than impressive over the last year plus. Bryant fills Asante Samuel's job, but certainly won't have the same impact as the All-Pro. Meriweather could be the first option off the bench and should see plenty of playing time in nickel and dime packages, as will the recent addition Lynch. Lynch is not the player he once was but could be used in sub packages as a safety/linebacker type player in the slot and near the line of scrimmage. Wheatley is a second-round pick who has impressed in camp and should get chances on the outside and in sub roles. Beyond that Wilhite is another intriguing rookie, while Spann, Sanders and Richardson are veterans battling for their roster lives.

SPECIAL TEAMS: PK Stephen Gostkowski, P Chris Hanson, LS Lonie Paxton, KR Matthew Slater, PR Wes Welker.

The three specialists were unopposed in training camp. Gostkowski had a strong preseason and has the leg to be a more productive kicker than he has been over two seasons. Hanson is a directional/situational punter who earned coach Bill Belichick's trust last season. Paxton is as consistent a long snapper as there is. Slater is a rookie who has shown burst and a fearless style and will get the chance to handle kicks early on as the team works to keep Ellis Hobbs fresh and focused on his defensive duties. Welker is a sure-handed decision maker although he's not a huge big-play threat.