Time to shine for receivers

Undrafted rookie Jakobi Meyers was trending in the right direction entering the preseason opener. Then his six-catch, 69-yard, two-touchdown performance versus the Lions essentially locked up a roster spot.

Can any receivers make a similar impression against the Titans?

Dontrelle Inman, Braxton Berrios, and Gunner Olszewski are going to have plenty of opportunity. They could end up playing most of the game.

Rookie N’Keal Harry is unlikely to play. He suited up for joint practices in Tennessee, but didn’t even participate in warmups. Phillip Dorsett suffered a left hand injury on Wednesday and was a non-participant in Thursday’s practice. Maurice Harris also suffered an injury on Wednesday and did not make it to the field for the second joint practice.

Berrios is probably in the best spot of the three. He took some heat from Brady during Thursday’s practice for running the wrong route, but bounced back quickly by drawing a defensive hold against Logan Ryan on the next rep. Then, Berrios got behind Titans safety Kevin Byard for a touchdown reception from Brady.

Berrios provides the Pats with a quick inside receiver to complement Julian Edelman. He also can return punts.

Olszewski possesses a similar skill set and might even offer more upside than Berrios. After all, he’s been playing wide receiver for only three months. The Pats would probably love to stash Olszewski on the practice squad and develop him over the next year, but those plans could change with a few impressive preseason games from Olszewski.

Inman is the veteran of the group. He didn’t play much, if at all, with the first-team offense early in training camp. But he looked smooth against the Lions, and the Pats know he can play. As a member of the Colts a season ago, Inman caught 17 passes on 19 targets for 231 yards and three touchdowns in his final four games.