FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots were stripped of their 2016 first-round draft choice as part of the NFL's Deflategate penalties, which meant their margin for error was thinner than the norm. After all, teams have a better chance of hitting on a first-round draft choice than a mid-to-late rounder.
But just as the Patriots are resilient on the field, they have seemed to make the most of their opportunities.
Grade: B
Best rookie: Third-round draft choice Joe Thuney (78th overall, NC State) was inserted into the starting lineup at left guard from the first day of spring practices and hasn't moved off the spot. He hasn't missed a snap all season, a streak in which he said he takes great pride. One of the best parts of Thuney's emergence for the Patriots is that he was selected as part of the compensation the club received from trading Chandler Jones to the Arizona Cardinals in March.
Most improved rookie: Fourth-round draft choice Malcolm Mitchell (112th overall, Georgia) has come on strong since the early-November bye week, doing something few rookies have achieved: Entering Tom Brady's circle of trust. Mitchell's poise and improvisation have resulted in several big plays that haven't necessarily been drawn up the way they unfolded on the field. His locker is directly next to Brady's, which has also helped the connection between them.
Most disappointing rookie: Cornerback Cyrus Jones (60th overall, Alabama) was rated at a similar level as a handful of others on the team's draft board but was the pick because of his value on fourth down as a returner, according to director of player personnel Nick Caserio. As the season has unfolded, Jones hasn't provided much value as a returner. In fact, his struggles in the role led the team to insert veteran Danny Amendola into the game, and Amendola injured his ankle on a punt return against the Rams. Jones' struggles continued with another costly miscue in Monday's win over Baltimore.
The jury is still out on ... Jacoby Brissett: The quarterback selected in the third round (91st overall, NC State) was supposed to spend the year learning behind the scenes as the No. 3 option behind Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. He was instead thrust into action for the second half of a Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins before starting a Week 3 shutout victory over the Houston Texans and a Week 4 shutout loss to the Buffalo Bills. He earned the respect of many in the organization by playing through a thumb injury on his right throwing hand that later required surgery and was the team's designated-to-return player on injured reserve. Overall, Brissett has added important depth, as have third-round defensive tackle Vincent Valentine (96th overall, Nebraska), sixth-round linebacker Elandon Roberts (214th overall, Houston) and sixth-round guard Ted Karras (221st overall, Illinois).
Undrafted rookie check-in: Speedy cornerback Jonathan Jones (Auburn) made the initial 53-man roster because of his special-teams contributions and he has been a core player in that role all season. Running back D.J. Foster (Arizona State) also made the initial roster and has mostly been groomed behind the scenes, while defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton falls into the same category. One additional contribution from Hamilton: He often plays upbeat music in the locker room, most recently featuring the 1980s boy band "New Edition."