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T
he NFL season is still months away but one player appears to have the inside track to making the New England Patriots final roster.
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New England has signed eight undrafted free agents so far this offseason. Devin Hafford, Kody Russey, Liam Shanahan, Brenden Schooler, Labryan Ray, DeMarcus Mitchell, Jake Julien, and D’Eriq King all became Patriots after the 2022 NFL Draft.
At least one of these players seems destined to make the regular season roster. New England has an 18-year streak of having an undrafted free agent on the roster in Week 1. Last season it was kicker Quinn Nordin.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski believes that this year, King will be the one to make it on the final roster.
“The New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick may value versatility more than any other NFL head coach,” Sobleski said. “It came as absolutely no surprise when the organization signed former Miami quarterback D’Eriq King as an undrafted free agent.”
How Did King Perform in College?
King spent six years playing college football. After starting his career at Houston, he transferred to the University of Miami in 2020.
In his final college season, King only appeared in three games. In his last full season, King threw for 2,686 yards and 23 touchdowns while only throwing five interceptions. King also ran for 538 yards and four touchdowns.
Lance Zierlein projected that he would be signed as an undrafted free agent and that he is a capable receiver.
“He hasn’t played receiver since 2017 but appeared to be more than capable at the position when asked to play it,” said Zierlein. “He’s well-built for a role as a slot but needs to train for better short-area quickness and route running. His ability to run RPO and zone-read packages could be enticing for teams looking to create as many options as possible for their offense.”
Julian Edelman 2.0
King will remind Patriots fans of a future hall of famer. With his ability to play multiple positions, King is very similar to Julian Edelman.
Edelman had a great career with the Patriots. The quarterback-turned-wide receiver racked up 620 receptions for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns. The three-time Super Bowl champ retired after the 2020 season.
While King played quarterback in high school, he is open to playing multiple positions with the Patriots.
“I talked to (Patriots director of player personnel) Matt Groh, and he was excited,” King told NESN’s Zack Cox. “… He told me I’ll do a little bit of everything—receiver, quarterback, running back—whatever I can do to stick.
“…I’m definitely motivated, and you have a chip on your shoulder, whether you get drafted or not. I’ve played quarterback my whole life, but I think I can be a pretty good receiver, as well.”
Sobleski thinks that King can fill a similar role.
“Once upon a time, Julian Edelman made the same transition, though King brings previous experience as a wide receiver with 58 receptions during his first two seasons with the Houston Cougars,” he said. “King can provide depth at multiple positions, which provides the team with significant value.”
King is someone that Patriots fans will want to keep an eye on throughout the preseason as he looks to make it on the final roster. Maybe he will become Belichick’s latest utility weapon on offense?