New England Patriots: 5 undrafted free agents with 2020 roster potential
Can the New England Patriots reach Jeff Thomas?
The most shocking outcome of the 2020 NFL Draft was that the New England Patriots did not draft a wide receiver. But they signed one who would’ve been drafted if not for character issues in Miami Hurricanes product Jeff Thomas.
That is so Bill Belichick, right?
It wouldn’t have been as shocking if the team traded for or signed a big-time receiver prior to the draft but going into the draft with this position as one of the biggest areas to address, punting on drafting a player was head scratching.
While not drafting a receiver may mean the team has much confidence in 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry making more of an impact in 2020. It also means they are counting on another undrafted free agent wide receiver to reach his potential.
That is where Jeff Thomas comes in.
At 5-foot-8, 170 pounds, he is not that big, outside threat the team has lacked, but he is an explosive athlete who also has experience returning kickoffs and punts. That makes him an intriguing playmaker if he buys in and finds his maturity under Belichick.
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Like Will Hastings and Nick Coe, the hope with a player like Jeff Thomas is that the team can tap into the talent that produced each player’s best college seasons.
In Thomas, that would be his 2018 season with the Hurricanes.
In that season, he caught 35 passes for 563 yards and three touchdowns. He was just starting to scratch his potential and the New England Patriots are hoping he has both the commitment and attitude to reach that potential in the NFL.