Patriots undrafted rookie wide receiver Jeff Thomas made his first public appearance in front of reporters at training camp on Thursday. Will Hastings, also an undrafted free agent, additionally appeared to media for the first time on the practice fields next to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
Elsewhere among the rookies, third-round linebacker Anfernee Jennings made his debut and switched his jersey number to 74, per Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.
According to Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal, cornerback Stephon Gilmore was among three new additions to the list of absent players. Offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste and safety Adrian Phillips were also new additions.
Per multiple reports, here are the other Patriots players absent on Thursday: DT Beau Allen, DL Tashawn Bower, WR N’Keal Harry, RB Sony Michel, RB Lamar Miller, and DE Derek Rivers.
Thomas, a former standout at the University of Miami, caught the attention of reporters in attendance. Here’s a collection of video clips of Thomas and other Patriots receivers in action during drills:
Thomas ran a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine, 10th-best among wide receivers. He was the only wideout in the top-15 in that drill to go undrafted.
MORE: Socci’s Notebook on Wednesday’s Camp
Our own Matt Dolloff and Alex Barth both had Thomas making the Patriots’ 53-man roster in their first projections of the 2020 season. We’ll keep monitoring the progress of Thomas and all other rookies at Patriots training camp here at 985TheSportsHub.com.
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