Patriots secure UDFA haul
Versatility again the watchword in group
The Patriots continued the teambuilding process once the NFL Draft was done Saturday by adding a handful of undrafted free agents. Here are some of the prospects who have agreed to deals.
LB Jett Bush, Texas: Bush, who went from walk-on to scholarship player with the Longhorns, is a 6-foot-2-inch, 242pounder who had 17 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 interception last season. By the looks of his college tape, he has special teams written all over him.
LB Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State: The 6-2, 236-pound Hunter is considered a good sideline-to-sideline defender, with good acceleration and nice positional versatility. (He moved to inside linebacker this season after spending the bulk of his college career as an outside linebacker.) A three-year starter who finished his college career with 234 tackles, including 21 for a loss, his ability to line up inside or outside should help gain playing time at the next level.
OT Zuri Henry, UTEP: Henry’s experience at both left and right tackle should play in his favor. At 6-6 and 300 pounds, he’s a big body who can be a part of a rapidly growing depth chart.
C Charles Turner III, LSU: A multiyear starter for the Tigers, Turner is a 6-4, 303-pounder who played 763 of LSU’s 841 offensive snaps this past season. He has some positional versatility, having begun his career as an offensive tackle, and might possess the body type to kick outside. While it’s easy to dismiss someone like Turner as nothing more than a UDFA, it’s important to remember David Andrews made the roster in the same fashion in 2015.
CB Mikey Victor, Alabama State: Size and good ball skills define Victor’s game. The 6-3, 212-pound corner ranked second in the FCS with 1.7 passes defended per game in 2023, and finished with 36 tackles and added 15 passes defensed and two interceptions. In all, he had three interceptions and 21 pass breakups during his two years with the Hornets. His distinctive frame could set him apart from the rest of prospects in the secondary.
CB Kaleb Ford-Dement, Texas State: The 5-11, 190-pound Ford-Dement started 11 of 13 games last year, and came away with three interceptions and seven pass breakups. Ford-Dement was stingy in coverage; according to Pro Football Focus, he was the sixth-best corner in the Sun Belt in passer rating against. He posted a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash and a 6.8 three-cone time, and you can’t teach speed.
TE Jacob Warren, Tennessee: Will Tennessee be the new Rutgers? A threeyear starter who was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll a record five times, the teammate of sixth-round pick Joe Milton III ended his college career with 53 catches for 607 yards and eight touchdowns. The numbers aren’t overwhelming, but with Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown lost in free agency, Warren could have an opportunity.
RB DeShaun Fenwick, Oregon State: The 6-2, 230-pounder has the classic between-the-tackles body type, and has found moderate success, averaging 5.3 yards per carry as a collegian (three years at South Carolina and then three more at Oregon State). He’ll turn 25 this year, so he might be further along than most prospects on the cusp of their college career. DE John Morgan III, Arkansas: A 6-2, 270-pound defensive end, Morgan showed a nice ability to disrupt the passer as a collegian. He had 16 sacks in 64 games with Pitt and Arkansas.
S Dell Pettus, Troy: Safety is an underrated area of need for New England; the team could certainly use an infusion of youth there. The 6-foot, 205-pounder was an All-Sun Belt (third team) honoree last season after finishing with 74 tackles and a sack. Pettus started 61 straight games for the Trojans.
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The following players have received an invite to Patriots’ rookie minicamp: kicker Vince Blanchard (Laval), cornerback Trajan Bandy (Miami), offensive tackle Tairiq Stewart (North Carolina A&T), and defensive back John Davis Jr. (North Texas).
The difference between a rookie minicamp invite and a UDFA signing is that the free agents have already signed a deal with the team, while the invite is a tryout with no signed contract.
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Other players from New England colleges signed UDFA deals after the conclusion of the draft. Among them were Holy Cross wideout Jalen Coker, UConn linebacker Jackson Mitchell, and New Haven tight end Kevin Foelsch (Panthers); Rhode Island tackle Lorenzo Thompson (Browns); Central Connecticut linebacker Luquay Washington (Chiefs); Yale wide receiver Mason Tipton, and Boston College lineman Kyle Hergel (Saints); UConn wideout Geordon Porter (Giants); and UConn defensive end Eric Watts (Jets).
Stonehill offensive tackle David Satokoski (Bears) and Central Connecticut cornerback Tyler Boatwright (Jets) were among the players to accept minicamp invites.