2. Conor McDermott, Riley Reiff Stand Out in 1-on-1 Drills as Right Tackle Battle Continues
Once the three injured Patriots return to the practice field, the Patriots will have four spots along the offensive line, likely filled by Brown, Strange, Andrews, and Onwenu, leaving one open spot.
After switching back over to left tackle last season, the expectation is that Brown will remain on the left side, meaning that the vacancy in the starting lineup is at right tackle. Currently, the position battle is between veterans Riley Reiff and Conor McDermott. Although the clock is ticking, it's also possible that Calvin Anderson could enter the competition when/if he returns.
Team drills haven't been as crisp with revolving doors at other spots, but Reiff, who has primarily repped at left tackle in Brown's absence, and McDermott showed well in their four combined repetitions during one-on-one drills in Monday's sessions.
Starting with McDermott, the current right tackle won his reps against Josh Uche and rookie Keion White. Uche tried to use a speed rush on McDermott to turn the corner, but the right tackle matched Uche's foot speed, a good sign since that's been his weak point.
As for Reiff, the 14-year veteran won reps against Deatrich Wise and Anfernee Jennings. The fact that the two favorites for the right tackle job won reps against players currently projected to make the initial 53-man roster is a positive step forward. Still, offensive line play is a team game, and it's hard to get too excited when full-team drills remain uneven.