It's hard for undrafted free agents to make the 53-man roster in the NFL , but there's really no places that accepts them as often as the New England Patriots . For years, the Patriots have become a hub for undrafted players to try and compete for a job on the football team.
Entering 2026, an undrafted rookie has made the team's initial 53-man roster 21 of the last 22 seasons. One of those players was Texas safety/special teamer Brenden Schooler , who earned a spot on the roster in 2022.
"It's always hard as a rookie, you know. You're just drinking through a fire hose," Schooler told reporters this week . "It's always just finding that that little edge."
As Organized Team Activities begin to ramp up in the near future, there are several Patriots on the team right now that could continue that trend of undrafted rookies becoming stars in New England .
May 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Myles Montgomery (39) catches the ball during the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
There is a running back competition brewing for the Patriots this summer. Behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson , the team has a little bit of a logjam for the third spot. Terrell Jennings and Lan Larison are returning from last season, while the Patriots drafted Alabama's Jam Miller in the seventh round.
One player to watch though is Montgomery, who comes to the team by way of Central Florida. He already is in the building with a large vote of confidence, as he signed the largest undrafted free agent contract in franchise history ($272,500), and can add breakaway speed and special teams talent to the roster.
May 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Dixon (83) works with coaching staff during the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
If Montgomery's contract status is any indication of how he's viewed in New England, Dixon should be looked at in the same light. The NAIA wideout signed a $252,500 contract, good for fifth-highest in Patriots history and brings size to the wide receiver position. Despite playing "weaker" talent, Dixon's tape pops off the screen and could be a dark horse candidate to win a job.
He'll also be able to play on special teams, something that wide receivers coach Todd Downing told him that'd he'd be able to work on. Dixon wasn't able to play on special teams in college -- his head coach Tom Sallay told Patriots On SI they couldn't afford to put their best player on those units -- but could play it at the NFL level.
May 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Cameron Dorner (88) runs a drill during the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Dorner might be the most talented of the four undrafted wideouts the Patriots signed this offseason. In 14 games last year with North Texas, Dorner had 56 catches for 911 yards and eight touchdowns.
He worked both inside and outside the numbers during one of the Patriots' rookie minicamp practices, and could hang around if he's able to improve on his speed (he ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash at at his pro day.
The Patriots have plenty of faces in the offensive line room, including a pair of rookies that were drafted to play tackle. What they don't have are the largest reserves of backup interior players. Rizy -- who's not new to this region as a former Harvard star -- could potentially sneak up on Ben Brown as the top backup at both guard and center.
New England Patriots linebacker Khalil Jacobs takes some coaching from head coach Mike Vrabel. | Courtesy of the New England Patriots/Eric J. Adler
New England met with Jacobs three times during the pre-draft process , including hosting him on a "Top 30" visit to the facility. While he didn't end up hearing his name called during the draft, he stuck around unsigned for a week until New England came calling.
The Patriots lost a trio of linebackers this offseason, including Jahlani Tavai (released), Marte Mapu (trade) and Jack Gibbens (free agency). Jacobs, who was a captain at Missouri this past season and was a core special teamer for the Tigers, could easily latch onto a roster spot once the full team emerges for practices
May 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots safety Peter Manuma (1) does a drill with wide receiver Jha'Quan Jackson (4) during the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Manuma came to New England as a tryout player . He left it on the active roster, earning a contract after an impressive showing at rookie minicamp. The Patriots had two open spots and decided to give one of them to the Hawaii safety -- also a former captain at the college level.
Manuma is a hard hitting player in the secondary, a sound tackler and can chip in on special teams. His speed helped his fly around the field when reporters were in attendance, and was back returning punts as well. While his odds may be slimmer than some other UDFAs, Manuma will be a fun name to watch this summer.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Six Patriots Undrafted Rookies Who Actually Matter at OTAs .
