Patriots rule one player out for Sunday’s game against Bills
The New England Patriots have ruled just one player out for Sunday’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Friday’s injury report. JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) won’t play in the game after missing practice on Thursday and Friday.
This will be the third missed game in a row for Smith-Schuster, and his fifth missed game of the season. In 11 games this season Smith-Schuster has 29 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown after signing a three-year, $33 million contract with the Patriots this offseason.
READ MORE:
—Top prospects for Patriots fans to watch in the College Football Playoff
—What to watch for when the Patriots play the Bills on Sunday
—Bill Belichick makes the Hall of Fame cases for Rodney Harrison and Matthew Slater
Nine Patriots are questionable for the game, including safeties Jabrill Peppers (hamstring), who returned to practice on Friday after missing Wednesday and Thursday, and Kyle Dugger (illness), who didn’t practice on Friday after not being listed Wednesday and Thursday.
Five additional players were removed from the injury report all together. That group includes running back Ezekiel Elliott (illness), tackle Trent Brown (illness), and safety Jalen Mills (concussion). That’s a strong sign they’ll play on Sunday.
Alex Barth on Twitter: "The Patriots have ruled JuJu Smith-Schuster out for Sunday pic.twitter.com/6nsu3o1Y6u / Twitter"
The Patriots have ruled JuJu Smith-Schuster out for Sunday pic.twitter.com/6nsu3o1Y6u
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20 NFL Draft prospects for Patriots fans to watch in the College Football Playoff
It’s almost time for playoff football! Not just in the NFL, but college football as well.
This year’s College Football Playoff semifinals take play on New Year’s Day. First, top seed Michigan takes on fourth-seed Alabama in the Rose Bowl, followed by No. 2 Washington facing no. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl. The winners of each game will then meet in the National Championship a week from Monday.
Of course, the main goal for the players on all four of these teams in to capture a National Championship. That being said, these games also represent potential tape against high-level opponents in a high-stakes game, which will be valuable and weighted by NFL talent evaluators.
It’s also a good chance for Patriots fans who may not watch college football regularly to familiarize themselves with some of the top players in this year’s class. All four roster feature players that aren’t just good prospects, but stand out as logical Patriots fits throughout this year’s draft (not just first-round picks).
Who are the names to know? We’ll take a look at a few players from each team for fans to keep an eye one, and wrap up with some additional names of top draft prospects overall.
Keep in mind we’re only talking about players eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft, so underclassmen or players that have announced they’re returning to school for the 2024 season aren’t included here. There are some underclassmen that haven’t announced their intentions yet, so they may go back to school after the playoff. Also, we’re not including draft prospects not playing due to injury, like Texas running back Jonathan Brooks or Michigan offensive lineman Zak Zinter.