New mystery player at Patriots practice identified on Thursday

There was a mystery player at Thursday’s practice wearing the No. 42 jersey for the Patriots.

The New England Patriots had a new player at practice on Thursday wearing a No. 42 jersey. Per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, that player was cornerback Azizi Hearn.

Hearn played with Patriots rookie offensive lineman Atonio Mafi at UCLA last season.

New England is undoubtedly looking for cornerback depth, and they are hard at work trying to fill out the position. One of those moves include them signing Breon Borders to fill a practice-squad spot on Thursday.

The Patriots recognize the need for a strong secondary, as they begin to enter the more challenging part of their schedule.

One has to wonder how Hearn will play a role for the Patriots moving forward. At the very least, this signing gives New England options at a position where having flexibility is important.

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