They have a rich history of unearthing gems off practice squads and the undrafted market, particularly on defense, and the New England Patriots are already more than pleasantly surprised by a rookie free agent who looks like a potential alternative to 2026 NFL draft second-round pick Gabe Jacas.
In fact, outside linebackers coach Mike Smith has been “shocked” by the progress of edge-rusher Xavier Holmes this offseason. That’s according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, who included Holmes on a list of unheralded Patriots with the potential to emulate franchise great Rob Ninkovich.
The latter went from a lowly fifth-round pick who spent time on the practice squads for the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins, to a two-time Super Bowl winner in New England.
Ninkovich is the benchmark for a player like Holmes, who, as Reiss put it, “would be a Malcolm Butler-type emergence. The 6-foot-2, 252-pound Holmes was an undrafted rookie free agent out of James Madison who was invited to town for a May tryout before being offered a contract. He has a chance to emerge considering second-round pick Gabe Jacas missed all spring after undergoing a knee procedure and has yet to sign his contract.”
Replicating what Super Bowl XLVIII hero Butler managed is as tall an order for Holmes as following Ninkovich’s decorated career path. Yet, Holmes still has a decent chance of making the roster at a spot blighted by concerns beyond the injury and contract status of Jacas.
Rookie Free Agent Earning Rob Ninkovich Comparisons
Ninkovich won over the Pats by beating starting offensive linemen in pass-rush reps during the summer of 2009, per Reiss. Holmes has been using similar hustle to impress coaches this year.
Reiss revealed “Smith said of Holmes: ‘He’s one that shocked me — a bigger guy that can move, got some athletic ability, more than people think, running his tail off to the ball.'”
GettyNinkovich set the template for how far unheralded defensive players can go with the Patriots.
That’s quite the endorsement of a 24-year-old who only joined the team in May. Holmes fits the profile of what the Patriots have traditionally favored at the edges of their front seven.
It’s a profile current head coach Mike Vrabel once embodied during four Super Bowl appearances, and Ninkovich later continued. Both fit the mold as 6-foot-plus, 250-plus pounders who could set the edge against the run, body tight ends and collapse the pass-pocket from the outside.
Holmes possesses similar traits, albeit at a raw level. His ability to hone those core skills can give him an inside track to a roster spot, considering the growing uncertainty Vrabel’s Patriots are facing at outside linebacker.
Patriots Have More Than a Gabe Jacas Problem
Vrabel and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf used the 55th-overall pick to take Jacas to solve a sneaky problem. One that began when K’Lavon Chaisson joined the Washington Commanders in free agency, but has since been compounded by ongoing uncertainty about the health of another of last season’s starters.
Jacas was supposed to be the solution, but a knee problem has hampered his progress. Both on the practice field and in contract negotiations.
Fortunately, the 22-year-old is at least working hard on getting back to 100 percent. At least based on a recent video uploaded to Instagram (h/t Danny Jaillet of Patriots Wire).
In the meantime, Holmes is free to compete with similarly unheralded edge defenders, including Bradyn Swinson and Elijah Ponder, for reps alongside marquee import Dre’Mont Jones.
There’s ample room here for another Ninkovich-type story.
Patriots ‘Shocked’ by Free Agent Gabe Jacas Alternative