After the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots went out and signed a ton of undrafted free agents.
Sports fans got a quick reprieve from this sportless world that we currently live in. The 2020 NFL Draft had the eyes of the entire sports world. The New England Patriots even did quite well.
New England improved their already impressive defense and also filled some holes at offense. The team looks invested in finding a tight end that can help out in the passing game and get the offense back to its former glory.
It was definitely interesting to see New England not draft a quarterback. This seemed like a given but I guess the Patriots trust Jarrett Stidham.
After the draft ended New England wasn’t done making moves. The team decided they needed to bring a few more guys.
The Patriots went out and signed more than 10 undrafted free agents. This isn’t surprising seeing that Bill Belichick has a knack for making these guys some of the best players in the NFL. He has an incredible eye for talent. It will be interesting to see how these players end up performing.
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So let’s take a look at some of these players that New England has signed.
Brian Lewerke
After not drafting a quarterback New England signed two undrafted free agents. Brian Lewerke was apart of the lucky group.
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Lewerke comes out of Michigan State. He had a pretty terrible senior season which probably led to him not being drafted. Lewerke threw for over 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns but also had 13 interceptions. In college football that is way too many.
To be fair to Lewerke, he did suffer a shoulder injury which could have led to his poor performance in 2019. He will have a lot to prove once he is in New England.
Lewerke seems to work well in the pocket and has a good arm. Also, he is a decent athlete so he can evade pressure when needed to.
The problem is Lewerke has struggled with his accuracy and is inconsistent. That isn’t what you want from an NFL quarterback.
If I had to guess I don’t think Lewerke will make it onto the final roster. He will probably end up a free agent before the start of the regular season. That is because the New England Patriots signed another undrafted QB who seems much more capable of being an NFL QB.
J’Mar Smith
There is one guy that I am interested to see in a Patriots uniform. J’Mar Smith seems like he could become someone who stays on the roster. Possibly for a long time.
Smith is undersized which might turn off some fans. Then again we have seen guys like Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson find success in today’s NFL. Smith could do the same.
In 2019 Smith was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 2,977 yards and 18 touchdowns.
What intrigues me about Smith is his arm strength. He can absolutely launch the ball and that is exactly what New England needs. He was the 16th best deep-ball passer in all of college football. He beat out the likes of Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love, and Justin Herbert.
If Smith can show off his arm in the preseason he might find himself on the final roster. He isn’t ready to start this season but maybe just like Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett, Smith can move on to a starting job elsewhere.
But this is definitely a good signing by the New England Patriots. Smith is definitely a QB who will bring some competition and fire to the roster.
Will Hastings
There is one player that will definitely be happy to have Will Hastings on the roster. Jarrett Stidham has a familiar face to throw to. Hastings and Stidham were teammates at Auburn.
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When Stidham was at Auburn he connected with Hastings 26 times and the wide receiver racked up 525 yards and 4 touchdowns. Hopefully, that chemistry will transfer to New England.
Since then Hastings has struggled. He missed all of the 2018 season due to multiple ACL injuries. Then in 2019 Hastings only had 19 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown.
If Hastings wants to stay in New England he will have to make an impact early on. He has no room for mistakes.
We know Hastings is a hard worker since he started off as a walk-on kick returner. Quickly Hastings etched out a role as a wide receiver. He could do the same in New England.
We all know how much Bill Belichick and company love slot receivers. If Hastings performs he could even replace Julian Edelman when the veteran wideout decides to retire.
Hastings is definitely a guy you will want to keep your eye on when the preseason arrives and we get to see what he can do on the field.
Jake Burt
The Patriots drafted two tight ends in the 2020 draft that will definitely have strong chances of making the final roster. It will be an uphill for local kid Jake Burt.
Burt attended St. John’s Prep in Danvers, MA, and also went to Boston College. Getting signed to the Patriots must be a dream come true.
In 2019, Burt was putting up some impressive numbers. He had 15 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown before his season was ended due to a broken collarbone. You can only imagine the numbers he would have put up if he had played an entire season.
The interesting thing about Burt’s signing is that he is getting $80,000 guaranteed. That isn’t some chump change You would think that New England wouldn’t want to waste all that money.
We do have some examples of New England getting rid of some expensive players. They guaranteed Andrew Beck over $100,000 but still cut him before the start of the regular season.
It will be interesting to see if Burt makes the final roster. The Patriots have a bevy of players who could warrant a roster spot over Burt.
But then again, New England must have their reasons for signing him. They don’t make moves just for the sake of making them. They must have a plan for Burt.
J.J. Taylor
We all saw how the New England Patriots running game struggled last season. That’s why I am not surprised that they have brought in some fresh talent. J.J. Taylor isn’t your typical running back, but he could be successful with the Patriots.
Taylor is small. 5’6″ to be exact. It’s hard to believe someone shorter than myself (5’7″) can make it to the NFL. Then again maybe that’s why I’m writing and Taylor is about to suit up for the Patriots.
Even though he is small in stature, Taylor isn’t afraid to get physical. He will take on any player to gain some yards.
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In 2018, Taylor had a great year. He ran for over 1,400 yards and 6 touchdowns. That is something the Patriots could need.
The thing that stands out is Taylor’s versatility. He can run, get involved in the passing game, and is also an experienced kick returner. One of the things Bill Belichick loves the most is a versatile player.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Taylor finds his way onto the roster whether it be for his running abilities or for his work on special teams. It will be interesting to see how the Patriots decide to use him.
Nick Coe
The Patriots seem to love players coming out of Auburn. Nick Coe is another undrafted player who hails from the school.
Coe had an amazing start to his career. Particularly as a sophomore he dominated tallying 26 tackles (13.5 for loss) and 7 sacks. That is the type of pass rush that the Patriots need.
But after missing the final two games of that season, Coe failed to regain his starting job. He will have a lot to prove this offseason.
The Patriots have some capable defensive lineman headed by guys such as Deatrich Wise Jr, Lawrence Guy, and John Simon. Still, they could always use depth at the position.
Coe is talented at getting by offensive linemen and can use his power to his advantage. He still has lots of room to improve and needs to if he wants to stay on the roster.
One of the things that Coe needs to be better at is pursuing quarterbacks when they are outside the pocket. Too often he fails to change directions quickly enough.
So if Coe improves enough he might find himself on the roster to start the regular season.
Trevon Hill
The Patriots got another big man after the NFL Draft. Trevon Hill will look to be another defensive end who finds his way on the roster.
Hill has had an interesting college career. After an argument with a member of the Virginia Tech coaching staff got him dismissed from the school, Hill ended up playing for Miami.
One thing that sticks out is how consistent Hill is. He might not rack up tackles or sacks at a crazy rate, but he has similar numbers each season.
What makes Hill interesting is his versatility. He can work on either side of the line. This boosts his chances of staying in New England. Also, Hill can even drop back in coverage if necessary.
A key thing for Hill will be falling in line with the Patriot Way. If he has another blow-up with coaches, his time in New England will be short. I think it’s fair to say that Hill has probably learned from his mistake at Virginia Tech.
But if Hill keeps on battling he might stay with the New England Patriots in 2020.
Kyahva Tezino
Besides having an awesome name, Kyahva Tezino is a talented linebacker. A big position of need for the Patriots in 2020. After the departure of Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and Elandon Roberts could use a few more linebackers.
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New England did draft Josh Uche who seems like he could fit into a starting role. There also could be room for Tezino if he performs well enough in the preseason.
At San Diego State, Tezino has put up some impressive numbers. In 2018 he really balled out with over 120 tackles and 8.5 sacks. Tezino was also named to the All-Mountain West 1st team. In his senior season, Tezino continued to rack up tackles nearly reaching 100.
Tezino was team MVP in his last two seasons and is a proven leader. He seems to be a player that Bill Belichick might have created in a lab. He is just a big, tough, football player.
Still, Tezino needs to develop more if he will be an NFL player. There is a reason he went undrafted. Just cause you are tough doesn’t mean that you will work out in the NFL.
But from the glimpses, we have seen there is potential for Tezino to become a part of New England’s defense.
De’Jon Harris
The Patriots didn’t stop at linebacker. They also signed De’Jon Harris who is a tackle machine.
In Harris’ last three seasons he has had over 100 tackles. That is just amazing. Just like Tezino, he is a big tough guy who finds the ball carrier. The only issue is that he doesn’t get to the quarterback that often.
I have to think that Harris is staying in New England for a while. His deal with the Patriots includes over $140,000 in guaranteed money. With a team like the Patriots up against the cap that is a good sign that they have a future for this guy.
If Harris can continue to be a tackle machine he could find a more permanent role. Some have described him as a possible replacement for Elandon Roberts as someone the Patriots use primarily on early downs to stop the run. I think it is fair to say that Harris knows how to find the ballcarrier.
So it will be interesting to see how fast Harris develops because the Patriots have already invested a lot of resources into the undrafted linebacker.