Derby, who caught six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's preseason win over the Bears, continues to push for the Patriots' No. 3 tight end job, ESPN.com reports.
Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett are entrenched as the Patriots' top two tight ends, with Derby's strong work this summer putting him firmly in the mix to secure a role behind the team's top duo at the position. Others jostling for depth slotting on that front are Clay Harbor, Bear Pascoe, Steven Scheu and Bryce Williams.