2024 Patriots UDFA tracker
The 2024 NFL Draft is done, but teams are hardly done adding players. With 257 picks in the books there are still plenty of players available in the undrafted free agent (UDFA) player pool. UDFA signings begin immediately after the conclusion of the draft.
After making eight selections in this year’s draft, the Patriots will have 79 players on their 90-man roster once the draft picks officially sign. That leaves 11 spots left to fill.
READ MORE:
—Did the Patriots reach on Ja’Lynn Polk?
—The Patriots have a plan to maximize third-round pick Caedan Wallace
—Javon Baker already has a connection with Drake Maye
A few of those roster spots may be reserved for veteran additions between now and the start of camp. But, the team will add its share of UDFAs as the process goes on.
Here’s a list of Patriots UDFA signings we know they’ve signed so far. It will be updated as more signings come in…
LB Jett Bush, Texas
A former walk-on, last year was the first where Bush played a more significant role for Texas as a pass-rushing outside linebacker. In 111 pass-rush snaps he recorded 16 pressures with two sacks. (Source)
LB Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State
Hunter is among the top-ranked players in the Patriots’ UDFA class. He was invited to the NFL Combine, and was expected by some to be a Day 3 pick. At 6-foot-2, 236 pounds he has the range to cover sideline to sideline and has the strength to work through blocks, which should help as he competes for a role on special teams with the Patriots. Hunter also has a nose for the football, with seven career forced fumbles. (Source)
CB Kaleb Ford-Dement, Texas State
It’s been quite the football journey for Ford-Dement, who began his college career at the JUCO level at Kilgore College before stops at Old Dominion, Washington State, and then finally Texas State for the last two years. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds Ford-Dement played mostly boundary cornerback and last year recorded three interceptions and six pass breakups. (Source)
TE Jacob Warren, Tennessee
There was a lot of talk leading up to the draft about the Patriots adding a blocking tight end to pair with Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, who are more pure receivers. Warren could be that guy. The 6-foot-6, 253-pound tight end had a blocking assignment on 63.6 percent of his total snaps in five years at Tennessee, including over 30 percent of the passing plays he was on the field for. For a blocking tight end he still lined up quite a bit in the slot (42.8 percent of the snaps in his career, 51.6 percent last year). When he did go out in the pattern he proved to be a capable red zone threat, with four of his 16 total catches last year going for touchdowns. (Source)
RB DeShaun Fenwick, Oregon State
Fenwick is a massive back at 6-foot, 225 pounds. He plays up to that size, and can grind away at a defense. Despite having been in college four six years (three at South Carolina, then three at Oregon State) he has relatively little experience with just one season of over 100 carries. That came in 2022, when he got the ball 114 times in 10 games, and ran for 553 yards and seven scores. (Source)
OT Zuri Henry, UTEP
Henry is a true swing tackle. As a six-year starter at UTEP (his 2022 season was cut short due to injury and became a redshirt year) Henry played 1,854 snaps at left tackle and 886 at right tackle, typically switching back and fourth each year after playing exclusively left tackle as a freshman. Penalties were an issue last year, he was flagged 12 times in 11 games while allowing 12 pressures on 373 pass-blocking snaps. (Source)
DE John Morgan, Arkansas
Morgan was a four-year starter at Pitt before transferring to Arkansas last year (he was ranked as a three-star transfer by 247). The 6-foot-2, 270-pound defensive end played most of his college career in a rotational role as a pass rush specialist but limited production likely kept him off draft boards. (Source)
CB Mikey Victor, Alabama State
A big outside corner at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds, Victor was an FCS All-American last year with 13 pass breakups and two interceptions in nine games. Opposing quarterbacks had a 54.8 passer rating when targeting him. If he improves in press converge, he has a chance to at least be a rotational boundary corner in the NFL. ( Patriots sign UDFA Mikey Victor, a 6'3 CB from Alabama State https://t.co/37zsfmZ8kD
IOL Charles Turner, LSU
Turner was a multi-year starter for LSU at center. He brings a physical edge to the position. At 6-foot-4, 303 pounds he held his own against bigger linemen in college but will need to add mass at the NFL level. (Source)
S Dell Pettus, Troy
Pettus split the majority of his snaps almost evenly between free safety (1,341) and box safety (1,221) as a five-year starter for the Trojans starting as a true freshman in 2019. He also saw considerable time at slot cornerback (885). That versatility should allow him to compete for a depth role in New England, and his strong tackling ability at 6-foot, 205 pounds make him a potential special teams contributor. (Source)
Keep scrolling for the Patriots’ full 2024 draft class…
Meet the New England Patriots 2024 draft class
The New England Patriots 2024 draft class is complete. Read more about each pick below.
In total, the Pats made eight selections in the 2024 draft, and seven of them addressed the offense. It was the right thing to do, for a unit that had rotted from within at all the key spots on the roster.
That doesn’t mean all these draft picks are guaranteed to hit, but it was imperative for Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf to take shots at critical positions like quarterback, wide receiver, and tackle. He did exactly that with the Pats’ first three picks in a row.
Did Wolf land the Patriots’ franchise quarterback of the future? That will be the No. 1 question coming out of this draft. Meet him and the rest of the Patriots’ 2024 draft picks…
Round 1, No. 3: QB Drake Maye, UNC
Drake Maye (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The key to the whole thing. If Maye pans out and becomes the Patriots’ first true franchise quarterback since Tom Brady, their concerns at wide receiver and along the offensive line suddenly won’t matter so much.
Maye has prototypical quarterback size at 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds, and has the arm talent to elevate the weapons around him. But despite his off-the-charts raw ability, Maye needs to improve his footwork and has a steep learning curve ahead of him going from North Carolina to an NFL offense.
So, the best thing for both Maye and the organization is to sit him to begin his rookie year, and allow him to work out the kinks in his game and learn the playbook. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting Eliot Wolf are confident that Maye has the work ethic and “football intelligence” to do so.
If all goes well in Maye’s development, the Pats will have their franchise quarterback of the future. And he would be the type of guy you need in the modern NFL: an elite athlete with the intangibles to match.
Round 2, No. 37: WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington
Ja’Lynn Polk (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
The Patriots wasted little time making their long-awaited high draft pick at wide receiver. They traded down from 34 to 37, turning their fifth-round pick into a fourth-rounder in the process, and went for Polk, a guy Eliot Wolf said the team “had [their] eye on for a while.”
Polk has good size at 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds, and has been universally praised for his hands and his toughness at the catch point. He has big-play potential with his body control and ball-tracking, and has shown the ability to play both inside and outside.
His route-running is solid but could use some improvement. Polk tends to make rounded cuts out of his breaks, and could stand to become more sudden with his change of direction. If he can do that, he could become a productive receiver at the NFL level.
Polk’s ceiling seems to be more of a No. 2 receiver or complementary piece than a true No. 1, but this is the reality in today’s NFL: the true studs all go in the top half of the first round now. Polk should be better than infamous recent picks like N’Keal Harry and Tyquan Thornton. He has a chance to start from day 1 as an “X” or “Z” target.
Round 3, No. 68: OT Caedan Wallace, Penn State
Caedan Wallace (Syndication: York Daily Record)
With their all-important third pick and final one of day 2, the Patriots addressed a huge need at tackle with Wallace out of Penn State. Wallace played right tackle for the Nittany Lions and comes into the NFL with tackle-caliber size and length at 6-foot-5, 314 pounds with 34-inch arms.
Wolf told reporters that he’s confident Wallace has the athletic ability to switch from right tackle to left tackle. The hope is that he does indeed pan out as a blindside protector for Maye. For now, left tackle should be considered a competition between Wallace and free-agent signing Chukwuma Okorafor.
Round 4, No. 103: OG Layden Robinson, Texas A&M
Layden Robinson (Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports)
Robinson played right guard at Texas A&M, and projects as a guard at the NFL level at 6-foot-3 and 302 pounds. But he does have great arm length at 34 ⅝ inches. He gets high marks for his power and play strength.
The reason Robinson was a day-3 pick was a relative lack of consistency in his performance, and unrefined techniques in certain areas, particularly in run blocking. He likely won’t play right away for the Patriots, but there are traits for them to work with here, and the potential to develop him into a starting guard down the road.
Round 4, No. 110: WR Javon Baker, UCF
Javon Baker (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
Another fit for the Eliot Wolf mold, Baker has good size at 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds, and has the skill set to make big plays down the field – jumping ability, ball-tracking, catch radius. He’s also a versatile route-runner, making him a good fit for a West Coast-style offense, which the Patriots are expected to run under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
The knocks on Baker in his scouting reports note the occasional focus drop and struggles against press-man coverage. But Baker does have the size and strength to possibly be coached up to handle that better at the NFL level. On the Patriots, he’ll have an opportunity to play relatively soon as a big “X” outside receiver, a player type they desperately need.
Round 6, No. 180: DB Marcellas Dial, South Carolina
Marcellas Dial (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
The Patriots finally addressed the defense and a sneaky need in the secondary with the selection of Dial in the sixth round. Dial played as a cornerback at South Carolina and has the physical tools to play man at the NFL level. He has to develop those skills to stick on the Patriots’ roster, but he has a chance, considering their relative lack of certainty at corner.
Round 6, No. 193: QB Joe Milton, Tennessee
Joe Milton III (Saul Young/News Sentinel/USA Today Network)
You can bet your bottom dollar that this pick made our resident draft expert Alex Barth extremely excited. That said, Milton right now is basically a big arm – the biggest arm – and not much else. He has a lot to learn about playing the position at the NFL level. But he should project as a long-term backup for Drake Maye, perhaps with the potential to be something more, if he develops well.
Round 7, No. 231: TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 03: Jaheim Bell #6 of the Florida State Seminoles runs in a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against the LSU Tigers at Camping World Stadium on September 03, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Bell is undersized for a tight end at 6-foot-2 and 241 pounds, but he showed some pass-catching ability and all-over-the-field versatility for Florida State. He’s an indication that new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo values versatility as much as his predecessor, Bill Belichick. There will be no pressure on Bell to contribute any time soon, with Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper in the fold at tight end. But he has potential as a versatile H-back type if he develops well.
