The New England Patriots will indeed field a professional football team on Sunday in Miami. But who should fans expect to see on the field, exactly?

That’s where this new roster projection comes in. Thanks to our own media access at Patriots training camp and the preseason, we have a strong idea of how the team will configure its on-field lineups, on both offense and defense.

When Mac Jones and the Patriots have the ball, expect a lot of “12” personnel (one running back, two wide receivers, two tight ends). There will be plenty of three-receiver sets as well, as there is with every team. But it’s fair to assume that Bill Belichick will feature more packages with both of his high-priced tight ends on the field.

On defense, the Pats will still run lots of “Nickel” (five defensive backs) against both the run and the pass. The front-seven will mostly lean toward linebacker personnel, while the secondary will include regular ol’ Nickel and “Big Nickel” (three safeties) when the matchup calls for it.

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These lineups aren’t meant to be permanent or static. Substitutions will happen, depending on how the Patriots want to match up their personnel to opponents. But this should at least function as a general guideline to get ready for how the Patriots will deploy their players.

Will they be good, bad, or somewhere in the middle? We’ll have to base that on the actual results on the field. But as far as what we expect the Patriots to do in terms of the lineups themselves? This is our final projection ahead of Sunday’s 2022 season opener at Hard Rock Stadium.

Base 12 Personnel Offense

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 26: Running back Rhamondre Stevenson #38 of the New England Patriots runs with the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of a preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on August 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

Running Back: Damien Harris
Tight End: Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith
Wide Receiver: DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers

The Pats only have the two tight ends on the roster, so no surprise there. Harris remains the first man out in the ground game, but Rhamondre Stevenson will get snaps with this group as well. At some point in camp, Parker passed Nelson Agholor in the pecking order as a blocking receiver. They still love Meyers in that spot, and Meyers should be the favorite to lead Pats receivers in total snaps.

11 Personnel Offense

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 31: Hunter Henry #85 of the New England Patriots celebrates after Damien Harris #37 scored a touchdown in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

RB: Damien Harris/Rhamondre Stevenson
TE: Hunter Henry/Jonnu Smith
WR: DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor

You’ll see all three out of Harris, Stevenson, and Ty Montgomery in the backfield here. It seems that Belichick is aiming to keep his back on the field in a three-down role, whomever that may be on any given possession. The most notable development is that Kendrick Bourne has slid to fourth on the receiver depth chart after a rough summer. But you can expect him to continue to rotate in a healthy amount.

No-Huddle Offense

Aug 19, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Ty Montgomery (14) runs the ball during the first half of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

RB: Ty Montgomery
TE: Hunter Henry
WR: DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor

In a two-minute or hurry-up situation, expect to see a lot of Ty Montgomery on the field – when he’s healthy. It’ll be interesting to see how they use Harris and Stevenson in these situations if Montgomery is unable to play. Henry and Smith could be interchangeable here, too, but Henry is the better, more reliable pass-catcher than Smith at this point.

Projected Offensive Line

Aug 19, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) signals during the first half of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Left Tackle: Trent Brown
Left Guard: Cole Strange
Center: David Andrews
Right Guard: Michael Onwenu
Right Tackle: Isaiah Wynn

This has been the group all summer long, when all five players are available. The intriguing part will come if and when Isaiah Wynn and/or Trent Brown have to come off the field. Onwenu can play tackle, and the Pats still have Yodny Cajuste and Justin Herron on the roster. Center/guard James Ferentz looks like the next man up at right guard if they decide to move Onwenu out of that spot.

Base Run Defense

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 26: Quarterback Jarrett Stidham #3 of the Las Vegas Raiders gets set to run a play against the New England Patriots during their preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on August 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Patriots 23-6. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Defensive Line: Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy
Linebacker: Matthew Judon, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Raekwon McMillan, Anfernee Jennings
Cornerback: Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones
Safety: Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger

There are three key changes to this group from 2021, and they’re all at linebacker. Ja’Whaun Bentley and Raekwon McMillan will now be manning the middle of the field against the run, and may be used a lot in pass-rushing situations as well. Bentley and McMillan may be a step back from Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins in terms of experience, but they should have better closing speed on ball carriers.

At outside linebacker, Jennings is poised to play a major role lining up opposite Judon. He knows how to set an edge at his position, which is a skill they’ve been relatively lacking. Jennings has a chance to be an upgrade over Kyle Van Noy in his role. Collectively, the changes at linebacker have a chance to lead to improvement for what’s been an underwhelming run defense in recent years.

This is their “Big Nickel” lineup, featuring their top-3 safeties. If they want to downsize in the secondary, either Dugger or Phillips will come off the field, likely for projected starting slot corner Myles Bryant.

Base Pass Defense

Aug 19, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon (9) on the sideline during the second half of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

DL: Christian Barmore, Deatrich Wise
LB: Matthew Judon, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Raekwon McMillan, Josh Uche
CB: Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant
S: Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips

In obvious passing situations, expect to see Christian Barmore on the field. He’s poised to make a major impact up front. Wise, meanwhile, started getting looks against the run late in the preseason, but will continue to make his bones as a complementary pass-rusher, in this case as a 5-technique (defensive end in 3-4 alignments). Uche is likely to swap in for Jennings as a pass-rush specialist, but not all the time – there will be some mixing & matching, depending on opposing personnel.

Bentley and McMillan look like they’ll be depended on to rush the passer, and they can certainly shoot a gap here and there when they have openings. But if they need a linebacker in coverage, they may be best suited putting Mack Wilson on the field.

If the Patriots are going against bigger receivers, there’s a chance we see rookie Jack Jones come on the field to play the perimeter, with Jonathan Jones shifting back to his traditional spot in the slot. As with any defensive lineup, these will be fluid groups based on whatever matchups they settle on during the week.

The Patriots and Dolphins kick off their 2022 regular seasons on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. You can get the call of the game on 98.5 The Sports Hub, plus pregame and postgame coverage. We’ll have you covered all day on Sunday and throughout football season here at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.