FILM REVIEW: Braxton Berrios is on the roster bubble, but don't count him out yet

Braxton Berrios may be in more danger of being cut than some people think. But he has an ability that the tall, physical receivers on New England don't have.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Braxton Berrios' days in a New England Patriots jersey could be coming to an end unless he is able to prove himself this summer in training camp. 

After being inactive for the entirety of the 2018 NFL season, the pressure is on for the former sixth-round pick as he looks to show the New England coaching staff that not only he can remain healthy, but can also be a valued contributor to both the passing game and special teams units. Since Berrios has not played an NFL snap, let's dissect some of his college tape and see what he brings to the table for New England.

When the Patriots drafted Berrios with the 210th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft he was almost immediately compared to previous slot receivers that have played for New England. Is it an unfair comparison for an unproven rookie? Maybe so, but Berrios actually fits the mold of the Julian Edelman, Wes Welker and Danny Amendola type. 

Berrios is a receiver that is quicker than he is fast and is able to separate easily in man-to-man coverage. Just look at this whip route late in the fourth quarter against Florida State to put Miami in field-goal range. (Berrios is lined up at the top of the screen in the slot.)

Remind you of a route you've seen the Patriots run before?  How about the go-ahead play to win Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks in 2014.

Berrios does, in fact, remind me a lot of Edelman in many ways. When you compare their pre-draft testing numbers the similarities become even more evident. 

Berrios posted a 6.72 three-cone time, 4.18 20-yard short shuttle and 36-inch verticle whereas Edelman posted a 6.62 three-cone, 3.92 short shuttle, and 36.5-inch verticle, respectively. Where Berrios takes the cake is in the 40-yard dash as his 4.44 40 bests Edelman's 4.52 time.

Not only do they measure out the same, but the two were also both selected late in the draft giving them their underdog mentalities. Also Like Edelman, Berrios is able to separate himself from linebackers, corners, and safeties on the inside seam route.

Berrios made a killing running the inside seam his entire senior season. Even when defenders knew it was coming they were still unable to stop it. He also is more than willing to go over the middle and make the contested catches, a toughness you need out of a slot receiver in the NFL. 

In this clip, Berrios has no idea where the defense is coming from and could take a helmet to the ribs going up for this ball. This doesn't deter the Miami wide receiver as he goes up and grabs the pass with no hesitation.

We can see that Berrios can play. 

So what's the issue? 

For starters, his ability to stay healthy. New England could have used Berrios in 2018 especially at the beginning of the season when Edelman was serving his four-game suspension. The team entered 2018 with just three wideouts on their active roster in Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson. 

The best ability is availability and Berrios was not available when the team needed him most.

The wide receiver group looks a lot different heading into training camp compared to last year. New England is going to have serious competition on their hands in a group that features Edelman, first-round pick N'keal Harry, Dorsett,  Demaryius Thomas (if healthy), Matthew Slater (ST), Dontrelle Inman, Maurice Harris, and UDFA Jakobi Meyers. 

If the Patriots carry six receivers, which ones would Berrios be able to beat out? And if Josh Gordon is able to return at some point during the season (a big if) then making the active roster becomes even more difficult for Berrios.  

Berrios still has practice squad eligibility, so if he is unable to make the active roster then the team can always place him there. However, this is only possible if he passes through waivers without being claimed by any of the other 31 teams. If Berrios wants to avoid that altogether then he is going have to make the final-53 man roster and beat out receivers that are more experienced than himself. This makes Braxton Berrios the player with the most to prove heading into training camp.