The New England Patriots had a boatload of picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and did a good job of addressing multiple needs on both sides of the ball.
As you can imagine, Patriots fans are excited to see what rookies Will Campbell, TreVeyon Henderson, and Kyle Williams can do as they could be the future building blocks of helping this franchise get back on track.
However, New England also had a slew of undrafted free agent signings following the draft, who made their presence felt throughout the spring workouts, such as wide receiver Efton Chism III and running back Lan Larison. Both Chism III and Larison will make it hard for the Patriots to cut them from the 90-man roster this summer.
Patriots LB Cam Riley Could Be a Potential Diamond in the Rough
Chism and Larison aren’t the only UDFA who are impressing New England’s coaching staff in offseason workouts. Undrafted free agent linebacker Cam Riley, who played his college football at Auburn and Florida State, could find himself in the mix, given the unproven depth behind the starters.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote last month that Riley “could be a worthy under-the-radar” player to watch during training camp. Patriots inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr is excited about the rookie’s development, as he told Reiss.
“He's been great so far. He has improved each and every day. He's learning what it's like to be a pro and there really hasn't been any slip ups, so I'm excited about his path right now.”
The Patriots would love to see the young linebacker continue to make strides throughout the next several weeks, as there are jobs to be won. Marte Mapu, who was taken in the third round in 2023, has been a bust.
Meanwhile, veteran Jahlani Tahvai sustained an injury early last month, but is expected to be ready for camp. New England’s inside linebacker depth leaves a lot to be desired, opening the door for an undrafted free agent like Riley.
Over his five-year collegiate career, Riley amassed 167 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
The 6-foot-3 Riley is a sound tackler, as he does a good job of staying in the gap and bringing down the ball carrier or pass catcher. He also has good length for being an inside linebacker, which can help him create turnovers by punching the ball out.
The rookie linebacker still has a long way to go to make the 53-man roster out of camp, but the skills and talent are there. Pats fans should keep an eye out for this kid, especially when the real action begins in preseason.