With the NFL draft less than a week away, rosters are inching closer to being finalized before practices resume in the summer. For the New England Patriots, after an impressive 2025 campaign that saw them return to the Super Bowl but ultimately fall short, they hold the No. 31 overall pick. At the draft, as they have thus far throughout the offseason, the Patriots will look to ensure the team has the best chance of returning to the playoffs, ideally getting another crack at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
New England was busy in free agency, adding players on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Patriots added a new weapon for Drake Maye in former Green Bay Packer receiver Romeo Doubs. Defensively, Kevin Byard left the Chicago Bears to reunite with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, whom he played for when he was with the Tennessee Titans.
While those signings will undoubtedly raise the floor for New England this coming season, position battles will take place between now and the end of training camp to determine where players fall on the depth chart. For Jack Westover, in particular, that could be a major concern.
Reggie Gilliam Signing Could Spell Trouble for Jack Westover
This past season, Westover served as the Patriots' primary fullback on offense. After playing in only three games during the 2024 campaign, he played in all 17 regular-season games and in the four playoff games in 2025. Coming into year three, though, Westover could see his role reduced with the signing of Reggie Gilliam in free agency.
This offseason, Gilliam signed a three-year, $10.8 million deal, per Spotrac. Gilliam had spent the first six seasons of his career with the Patriots' division rival, the Buffalo Bills, before jumping ship and latching on with the Pats. During his time with Buffalo, Gilliam was an important part of the team's running game. Coming over into a Josh McDaniels offense, which works best with a fullback involved in the run game, he should see a boost in usage next season.
Given how valuable Gilliam has been for Buffalo, Westover could be fighting for his spot in training camp. Adding Gilliam to the roster makes it known that the Patriots think they could get better play at the fullback position than what they got from Westover this past season.
Now, it is on the former University of Washington standout to prove that he is still the man for the job throughout OTAs and training camp. Westover will need to shine on the field in the buildup to the 2026 season if he wants to guarantee his spot on the team, or else he could be looking for a new home.
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