Football is back in Foxboro.

The Patriots open training camp today.

Let’s dive into what the next four weeks of practice will hold for Drake Maye, Jerod Mayo and Co.

Top position battle

Quarterback

Four men enter. Only one can start Week 1 against the Bengals.

In all reality, this is a two-man race between rookie No. 3 overall pick Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett. But third-year pro Bailey Zappe and rookie sixth-round pick Joe Milton are still on the roster and will be contending in their own roster battle.

Brissett will almost certainly receive the first snap Wednesday morning when the Patriots take the field for their first training camp practice of the summer. But he’ll need to fend off Maye.

Patriots veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett speaks to the media Tuesday at Gillette Stadium on the eve of training camp. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

Brissett is a nice option as a bridge starter, but if Maye is ready and is as good or better than the vet this summer, then a top-5 pick shouldn’t sit on the bench. As for the third QB battle between Zappe and Milton, the latter has much higher upside. — Kyed

Wide receiver

It’s crowded, complicated and, you’d certainly hope, competitive.

Most eyes will be on Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, whom the Patriots are hoping can end a decades-long franchise struggle of finding impact rookie wideouts. Because if neither of them can seize a starting job, the Pats must again ask collection of No. 3-caliber receivers — K.J. Osborn, Kendrick Bourne and possibly JuJu Smith-Schuster — to carry their passing game. At least they can bank on DeMario Douglas handling his business from the slot.

But around Douglas? Almost anything is possible, from the rookies to the vets and players like Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte, who find themselves stuck in between. This should be a long, tight camp battle. — Callahan

Breakout player

DB Marcus Jones

Let’s try this again.

After being circled in this space as a breakout candidate last summer, Jones suffered a torn labrum that cost him the rest of his 2023 season. But now, having recovered, he’ll have the chance to prove he’s every bit the ballhawk and playmaker the Patriots believed him to be when they drafted him in 2022.

As a rookie, Jones scored in all three phases as a rookie and played more outside corner than anyone expected. Fast forward, and he should find a steady home at nickelback and perhaps at safety. Jones makes up for his diminutive size — 5-foot-8 and 188 pounds — with an outsized physicality and supersized instincts. Both will be on display all summer and season. — Callahan

DE Keion White

White, a 2023 second-round pick, showed dominant traits as a rookie last summer but had a quiet debut campaign.

Mayo already hyped up White over the spring as a player who came in and surprised the new head coach. The second-year pro has to prove that he can carry over what he does in practice and preseason to regular-season games this year.

The 25-year-old defender is a bit of a unicorn. He’s 6-foot-5, 290 pounds and can line up anywhere from the middle of the defense at defensive tackle to standing up at outside linebacker. Players as big and strong as White aren’t typically as nimble on their feet.

Expect him to give Patriots offensive tackles fits in practice. — Kyed

Best storyline

New-look offense

The Patriots not only have a new head coach for the first time since 2000, but they also won’t be running the Erhardt-Perkins offense. New offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will introduce elements of a West Coast passing attack to New England.

Patriots wide receiver Ja’ Lynn Polk makes a catch during rookie minicamp action in Foxboro on May 11. (Photo by Paul Connors/Media News Group/Boston Herald)

The Patriots’ offense has typically been complicated and prohibitive for rookies to grasp quickly. This system should be easier on young wide receivers like Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. — Kyed

Drake Maye’s development

It all comes down to the quarterback.

How does Maye look in the pocket? What about his footwork dropping back from center? Is he making his reads fast enough? How’s his chemistry with the receivers? When will he start? Is he truly a franchise quarterback?

Every practice, reports will fly from Foxboro trying to answer these questions. Over time, trends will develop, and from those trends, hints about Maye’s development. And if that sounds extreme, it’s because that’s how much the quarterback matters. That’s football, and that is the biggest storyline this season, if not all year. — Callahan

Biggest weakness

Offensive line

The Patriots’ receivers might rank worse when compared to its counterparts across the rest of the league, but at least they have an upside if Polk and/or Baker hit. Up front, there’s little hope.

Veteran Patriots center David Andrews speaks Tuesday to the media at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

The Patriots are crossing their fingers longtime right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor can transition to left tackle at the NFL level, and that a viable right guard will emerge from a dry talent pool. Their best lineman, Mike Onwenu, isn’t settled into a single position yet because the rest of the line is so unsettled. Somehow, for a third straight year, the Patriots are organizing their largest position group with hope instead of a concrete plan. — Callahan

Wide receiver

That is, unless the Patriots make a move before the 2024 season. 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has requested trade, and the Patriots had interest during the draft.

But as of now, there are way too many question marks at the position. Polk and Baker are rookies, Bourne is coming off of a torn ACL, Osborn didn’t impress in spring sessions, and Douglas looked like a star at times last season but also dealt with concussion issues. Beyond that, Smith-Schuster, Thornton and Boutte are competing for likely just one spot on the roster.

There’s upside here, but the floor is low. — Kyed

Best rookie

QB Drake Maye

It might not always be pretty for Maye as a rookie, but he’s a much more physically gifted quarterback than the players who have been manning the position in New England since 2021. And Maye’s play should improve as the season progresses.

How well Maye plays could ultimately be dictated by the performance of his pass catchers and offensive line. And based on our last section, it might not be an ideal situation for the rookie passer. But expect some wow plays when he gets on the field. — Kyed

WR Ja’Lynn Polk

He’s the second-most talented player in this rookie class behind Maye. Unlike his quarterback classmate, Polk has a clear path to playing time and played within a sophisticated offense in college that should grease his transition to the pro level. He can also play inside and outside the numbers and win at all three levels.

It won’t come together all at once, but by the end of the year, Polk should stand alone as first in this rookie class. — Callahan

Surprise cut candidate

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Smith-Schuster endured a nightmare season last year, undercut by a knee injury that never went away. He stood and faced the music anyway, including when his drop led to a maddening midseason loss to the Commanders. More recently, he told reporters he’s back to 100%.

“It’s not easy coming off a knee injury and having a long season and coming back really short. … I feel great, honestly. I feel great. I’ve never felt better,” he said. “I’m just excited to finally be out here around this time and participating.”

Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (7) during practice in May at Gillette Stadium. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

It’s just hard to believe Smith-Schuster can speak his old form into existence. He’s a past-his-prime veteran on a team entering a deep rebuild that will prioritize playing time for first- and second-year players. It’s unlikely the Patriots are able to deal him, so here’s betting they swallow roughly $9 million in dead money on cutdown day to part ways. — Callahan

WR Tyquan Thornton

In some ways, this is one of the more difficult years to pick a surprise cut candidate, because ultimately, it’s not a very talented roster, and it’s pretty easy to pick the 53 more talented players.

But the Patriots are also under new leadership. So, it wouldn’t be shocking if players who were drafted high under Bill Belichick were ultimately let go this offseason.

Thornton, a 2022 second-round pick who disappointed as a rookie and produced even less in Year 2, would qualify. — Kyed

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Bold prediction

The Patriots pick outside of the top five in the 2025 NFL Draft

Based on expectations for the Patriots this season, that’s actually pretty bold. The Patriots were not favored in a single game when the 2024 schedule was released. Their over-under win total is an NFL-low 4.5. So, they’re currently expected to be the league’s worst team and holder of the No. 1 overall pick next spring.

Picking within the top 5 would mean landing a potential franchise wide receiver or left tackle, but their defense is too good to shake out that way, and the offense has undergone improvement this offseason with better quarterback play anticipated. — Kyed

The Patriots produce two All-Pros

Yes, a potential four-win team produces two of the best players in football.

Here’s the candidate pool: cornerback Christian Gonzalez, outside linebacker Matt Judon on an injury revenge tour, nickelback/returner Marcus Jones (a 2022 All-Pro), punter Bryce Baringer and core special teamer Brenden Schooler. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore has a dark horse case, but the Pats won’t need him.

For the first time in four years, the Pats produce two All-Pros and head into the offseason looking for more.  — Callahan