The New England Patriots signed several players from the undrafted free agent market. New England has seemed to find a place for the underdogs. At least one undrafted free agent has made the New England Patriots opening day roster in 13 straight seasons.
With this particular group, there is a mixture of defensive and offensive players. With defense seeming to be a key focus in the 2020 NFL Draft, that trend also managed to make its way into these free agent signings. It will be interesting to see if any of these players can crack the roster for New England.
We take a look at the undrafted free agents signed by the Patriots,
Will Hastings is perhaps one of the more intriguing names on the list. Jared Stidham’s former slot receiver, Hastings caught 19 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown last season. An injury kept him out of the 2018 season, but he had 525 receiving yards and four touchdown catches in 2017.
Sean Riley was not invited to the scouting combine, but that doesn’t mean he can’t produce. He was a prolific kickoff return for Syracuse, returning 115 kickoffs for 2,433 yards in his career. He certainly could find his role on special-teams.
J.J Taylor is another name that will was added to the running back room. He carried the ball 148 times for 729 yards and five touchdowns in 2019 for Arizona. He was able to tally 255 carries for 1,434 yards in 2018.
Another Auburn alum, defensive end Nick Coe slipped under the radar due to disciplinary problems at Auburn. There is no denying his production. He recorded seven sacks in 2018. He still may be very raw . However, Bill Belichick decided to take a flyer on him.
A former member of the Miami Hurricanes, Jeff Thomas tallied 31 catches for 379 yards and three touchdowns in 2019. Thomas played well in what was a stagnant Miami Hurricanes offense.
Trevon Hill also played for Miami trip on Hill also played for Miami and was able to make an impact defensively. Although he has had injury problems in the past, he can produce. Like Coe, he could be a promising defender on the edge.
Brian Lewerke played the quarterback position at Michigan State. His arm strength and his ability to make reads are something that the Patriots could definitely use in the quarterback room.
Kyahva Tezino recorded 99 tackles for San Diego State after telling 126 the year before. His versatility as well as durability should help New England with depth in that area.
Courtney Wallace Jr. can get after the quarterback. He recorded 13 combined quarterback disruptions. He may be able to help New England in the trenches as his six-foot-two, 305-pound frame once him to be versatile.
Rashod Berry was primarily a blocking tight end for Ohio State last season. He only had to catches for 20 yards on the year. New England may appreciate this skill set if they focus more on the run game moving forward.
Isaiah Zuber is another slot receiver that could fit in well in the New England offense. He recorded 52 catches for 619 yards and 2018, but only managed 14 receptions for 221 yards and two touchdowns last year at Mississippi State. He’ll look to find his mojo again in this offense.
Miles Bryant is a corner that may be able to find the field quickly. He started in 38 games as a member of the Washington Huskies, and has shown durability .
J’Mar Smith comes to the Patriots by way of Louisiana Tech. The quarterback recorded 2,977 passing yards as well as 18 touchdowns last year. He won Conference USA’s Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Bill Murray played defensive tackle for William and Mary last season. He recorded six sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss in 2019. He blocked four kicks on special teams last season.
De’Jon Harris comes to New England by way of Arkansas. He recorded at least 100 tackles in three of his four seasons at Arkansas. His best season came in 2018, when he recorded 118 tackles.
Fans local to the area may remember this name. Jake Burt played tight end for Boston College last season. The Eagles had an offense that was primarily run-focused and they used him as a blocker. He recorded 15 catches for 282 yards and a touchdown last season.
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