As surprise stories arise every training camp around the NFL, here are three New England Patriots sleepers who you may find yourselves rooting for.
With mandatory minicamp out of the way, the New England Patriots are just weeks away from entering training camp. As the team prepares to defend yet another Super Bowl championship, some surprise roster additions and subtractions will occur before the 53-man roster is set.
With some key positions either up for grabs or in need of depth, there will be players considered sleepers who may emerge during training camp and preseason games that grab the coaching staff’s attention as well as fans.
Sometimes these players actually make the team, but often they are players who win the admiration of fans during the hot, grueling weeks leading up to the start of the NFL season.
In the past, some of those players have gone on to do great things with the team. Former Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler comes to mind. There are times these players make the roster and fizzle away like tight end Nate Sudfeld.
Either way, the players are fun to root for and show signs of being the diamonds in the rough the team is known for finding.
As the New England Patriots prepare for another training camp, here are three sleepers to keep an eye on and root for in the days leading up to the start of the 2019 NFL season.
3. WR Gunner Olszewski
Talk about the ultimate New England Patriots story.
If undrafted Division II rookie Gunner Olszewski were to somehow make the practice squad, let alone the 53-man roster, it would be the ultimate definition of what the Patriots have been about this entire two decades of dominance.
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As a defensive back at Bemidji State, Olszewski compiled seven interceptions while covering opposing wide receivers. Now, with the Patriots, he is being asked to play slot receiver, and has an opportunity to do what players like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola have done.
He has a chance to make a name for himself and master the position in the NFL. With the wide receiver depth chart pretty much open after Edelman and first-round pick N’Keal Harry, Gunner Olszewski is a player you’ll find yourself rooting for because he is a smaller guy (5-foot-10, 178 pounds) who plays close to the ground.
"“Yeah, I think they just saw I was a smaller guy, lower to the ground, quick, kind of like he said something like Danny Amendola,” Olszewski said about how the Patriots approached him to play receiver. “You know, he’s another Texas boy. It was cool to hear from that. I just want to prove them right now – prove that I can do this.”"
If nothing else, Olszewski has the mindset to prove people wrong and that will make him a fan favorite through training camp and the preseason.
Enough to make the team?
We’ll see.
2. DL Ufomba Kamalu
New England Patriots fans may not know this name, but they will through the preseason.
Twenty-six-year-old defensive lineman Ufomba Kamalu only played a few snaps with the Patriots in 2018, but one of those snaps resulted in a memorable play that shows why the team is high on the University of Miami product who spent most of his time on the team’s practice squad.
In a big 24-12 victory over the Buffalo Bills in December, Kamalu exploded into the backfield and buried running back LeSean McCoy for a 4-yard loss.
It was his first defensive snap with the team and showcased the speed and power he is capable of bringing off the edge. Following that game, Kamalu felt as though he experienced a release following his long journey in finally breaking the 53-man roster.
"“I saw everything happen, and then it happened,” Kamalu said, as transcribed by NESN. “I was so excited and so, like…it was a release almost. Finally playing. It’s been a long year. It was a big release.”"
If Ufomba Kamalu makes a habit out of showcasing that type of release in the preseason, he is one longshot who will give the New England Patriots something to think about and fans a player to root for.
1. DB Obi Melifonwu
The New England Patriots are getting older at the safety position with both Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung on the other side of 30.
That’s why now is the time for third-year defensive back Obi Melifonwu to reach his potential in the NFL.
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Acquired as a free agent after he was cut the Oakland Raiders, the former second-round pick played in just two games with the Patriots in 2018 combining for three tackles. With 2019 second-round draft pick JoeJuan Williams as another lengthy, physical defensive back who may play more of the safety role, Melifonwu really has to showcase his talents in training camp.
Other than being a local product, as he starred at the University of Connecticut, Obi Melifonwu is a player to root for because of the bad luck he has had with injury entering the NFL with the Raiders. In his rookie season, he played in just five games and really hasn’t had the chance to showcase his ability.
Growing up in Massachusetts, Melifonwu idolized former Patriots safeties like Rodney Harrison and Lawyer Milloy. As a bigger, more gifted athletic as both of those two players, the UConn product has both the inspiration and motivation to excel under Bill Belichicks, especially now that he is healthy.
Take a look at what NFL Draft Insider Mike Mayock said of Melifonwu following his NFL Pro Day.
"“He’s a genetic freak. I thought his tape was really solid. What I like is he’s a matchup player,’’Mayock said prior to the 2017 NFL Draft. “His movement skills for his length, his ability to get in and out of breaks, his tackling, he’s got first-round talent all-day long.’’"
If the New England Patriots find a way to tap into that talent and Obi Melifonwu reaches his potential, he will be a fan favorite for years to come and another classic case of the team turning another team’s trash into NFL treasure.