FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Drake Maye and several other New England Patriots stars aren’t expected to play in the team’s preseason opener Thursday night against the Indianapolis Colts.Instead, coach Mike Vrabel kept Maye and other veterans on the field for a long joint practice against the Colts on Tuesday that went well for the Pats.Still, Thursday night’s game is an important one for plenty of players. Here’s a look at who has the most at stake Thursday night.Who are the most clutch NFL quarterbacks since 2020?Robert Mays and Derrik KlassenKyle Williams, WRCoaches continue to speak highly of Williams, who was an offseason award winner. They say they’ll find a role for Williams, and the way Vrabel talks about him, it seems like he’s a roster lock.However, it’s also fair to note that Williams has not made a significant impact in training camp and has spent a lot of time with the backup offense. Maybe that’s to make Williams the primary option on a certain play, but it’s curious given the praise he has received. So it’ll be interesting to see if Williams makes any plays on Thursday night.The other thing to watch is how he fares as a kick returner. He was there on Tuesday and projects as the Week 1 starter in that role.Kindle Vildor, CBWith Carlton Davis out for most of the last two weeks, Vildor has gotten plenty of run with the first-string defense as he vies for one of the last cornerback jobs on the roster.However, it’s going to be tough competition. Karon Prunty has had some nice moments, as has undrafted rookie Channing Canada. Kobee Minor is still in the mix, as well.This is going to be a big game for those corners, especially since Tuesday didn’t go great for them against the Colts. But the guess is Vildor is the leader in the clubhouse at this point for one of the final cornerback jobs.Backup running backsIt’s hard to pick just one, especially since it’s difficult to evaluate running backs in training camp practices when tackling isn’t allowed.So this is the first real opportunity for one of the backups to take a lead in the race for the job behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.Terrell Jennings is probably the early front-runner, but rookie Jam Miller should get plenty of touches on Thursday night and could be a factor on special teams, too, given his speed.If Miller replaces Williams as the kick returner, that would go a long way toward solidifying Miller’s spot. Lan Larison is the other player vying for this job.CJ Dippre, TEThe tight end got off to a slow start in training camp thanks to an injury that landed him on the PUP list. However, Dippre has been back at practice for a week now and has had a chance to shake off the rust.He has seemingly fallen behind in the race for the No. 3 tight end job thanks to the blocking prowess of undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin. But Dippre has more pass-catching upside than Arkin, and this preseason game should offer him a chance to make a positive impression.Efton Chism, WRThe undrafted rookie made the team a year ago, but his spot this season isn’t guaranteed. The Patriots are trending toward keeping seven wide receivers on the roster (so long as they don’t trade Kayshon Boutte), but that’s more than you’d typically budget for that position.That’s partly why Chism enters the preseason games on the roster bubble. He’s behind DeMario Douglas on the depth chart as a slot receiver, so he’ll likely either need to show he can contribute on special teams or make more plays on offense.Caleb Lomu, OTThe first-round rookie has been everywhere in training camp: left tackle, right tackle and even some guard.It’ll be interesting to see where the Patriots use Lomu in the preseason and how he fares. He has done well in one-on-one drills throughout training camp, but those can be difficult to judge and aren’t always a perfect indicator of how a player will perform in games.Plus, Lomu isn’t just projecting as a backup to right tackle Morgan Moses. The Patriots also seem open to the idea of using Lomu as a sixth offensive lineman in short-yardage situations.Gabe Jacas, EdgeIt wasn’t the smoothest transition to the NFL, as a degenerative left knee issue delayed Jacas’ contract signing until after training camp had started.However, Jacas seems to play quickly and is often in the backfield in practice. Still, the 22-year-old missed meaningful time away from the team during his contract dispute, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Jacas hasn’t fully mastered the playbook yet.I’d expect Jacas to play with a high motor on Thursday night. As Vrabel has noted, it’s a lot easier to dial back a rookie who plays fast while perhaps not understanding every aspect of their role, rather than asking a rookie to pick up the pace.