ssistant, before getting promoted to area scout in 2008.Five years later, the former Boston College wide receiver moved up to the national level — a role he has held ever since and in which he earned h

Will New England’s streak of undrafted rookies on the 53-man team stay alive?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhitePats Pulpita New England Patriots communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpPatriots NewsOpinion and AnalysisContribute!About the SiteTopicsPatriotsOddsShopStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhitePatriots News Opinion and Analysis Contribute! FanPostsFanShotsAbout the Site List of Patriots Twitter AccountsWrite For Pats Pulpit!New User Welcome and Commenting GuideCommunity GuidelinesMastheadTopics Patriots Off-Season CoveragePatriots Opinion/AnalysisPatriots NewsPatriots Draft CoverageSportfolio ManagementFiled under:Patriots AnalysisWhich undrafted rookie signings have the best chances of making the Patriots’ roster?New Yodny Cajuste NFL Jersey ,23commentsWill New England’s streak of undrafted rookies on the 53-man team stay alive?EDTShareTweetShareShareWhich undrafted rookie signings have the best chances of making the Patriots’ roster?Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty ImagesIn 2004, the New England Patriots started a streak is active to this day: every single season over the last fifteen years, at least one undrafted rookie survived roster cutdowns to make the club’s opening day team. From players such as Ryan Allen and Brandon Bolden to obscure foot-notes in franchise history like Steve Maneri and David Herron to superstar cornerback Malcolm Butler, New England has a proud history of undrafted players.Will this streak be kept alive in 2019? With the Patriots having one of the deepest teams in the NFL, the natural reflex would be to say ‘no.’ The club’s track record and the list of rookies added via free agency this season vis-a-vis the current roster construction, however, may create a different outcome — and in turn make it sixteen straight years with at least one of them making the team. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.First, let’s take a look at this year’s contestants:*International playerIncluding Jakob Johnson, who was assigned to the Patriots through the NFL’s International Pathway Program and does not count against the 90-man offseason roster limit, the reigning world champions have eleven undrafted rookies on their roster. Some of which at positions of strength, others with a comparatively unclear picture ahead of them on the depth chart — the latter is the group most likely to survive cutdown day.This, in turn, means that the chances of some members of the undrafted rookie class do look worse than they do for others. Take the aforementioned Johnson, for example, who is behind arguably the NFL’s best fullback in James Develin. For him to make the team, Develin would have to suffer a significant injury (or Bill Belichick decide to bring back the T-formation just for the thrill of it). If everything goes according to plan Yodny Cajuste NFL Draft , however, Johnson won’t make the 53-man squad.Based on the current roster, the chances also do not look particularly good for running back Nick Brossette, linebacker Terez Hall, and defensive backs Malik Gant and D’Angelo Ross. That does not mean they won’t be able to make it, of course: the Patriots will keep a player around if they see value in him, no matter how deep a position is — just think of sixth-round rookie Tom Brady as the fourth quarterback in 2000.When it comes to the question atop this article, however, we will have to eliminate these five men from the equation; they face an uphill climb steeper than others. This leaves six players:All six men are playing positions currently unsettled: the Patriots have a new-look tight end depth chart following the departure of Rob Gronkowski, have no roster locks at wide receiver beyond Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman and first-round investment N’Keal Harry, and currently view their starting left guard — Joe Thuney — as the best option at left tackle until Isaiah Wynn and Yodny Cajuste return from injury.Tyler Gauthier, an interior offensive lineman from Miami, might actually play on the deepest of the positions listed above. On paper, New England has ample depth at the guard spots and at center, but Thuney’s role on the team and the question marks at tackle make for an interesting dynamic moving forward. Under normal circumstances — i.e. Wynn returning to start at left tackle, Thuney moving back inside — Gauthier will get lost in the numbers game.This leaves five players Yodny Cajuste Buffalo Bills Jersey , and every one of them has a solid argument for making the team beyond the depth at his position:TE Andrew Beck: Primarily as a blocking tight end. Has adequate size to improve as a target in the passing game but lacks functional athleticism and route-running savvy.WR Ryan Davis: Led Auburn in receptions (69, for 546 yards) and touchdowns (5) in 2018. Lined up all over the formation, but projects primarily as a slot receiver at the next level due to his combination of quickness and size. Also has experience as a punt returner.WR Jakobi Meyers: A bigger slot receiver that brings quickness and ball skills to the table. Was productive during his final season at N.C. State and caught a team-high 92 passes for 1,047 yards and 4 touchdowns.WR Gunner Olszewski: Developmental college cornerback that was productive on special teams. Lacks size and experience at wide receiver, but has the athletic skills to make the move.OT Tyree St. Louis: Brings plenty of experience — he started 34 straight games to end his college career — and versatility to the table, as well as an intriguing frame. Needs to improve his technique as a longer-term project.All five players listed above are developmental options to a certain degree, with Olszewski in particular being a project at this point in time. A similar label can be attached to Beck and St. Louis as well, however, given their college careers. Meyers and Davis, meanwhile, are more polished but still need plenty of work to compete at the next level. Realistically, all five men are candidates for the practice squad and would benefit from time to work on their skills.So, who does have the best chance of making the 53-man team in late August? That depends on what you are looking for: when it comes to competition or the comparative lack thereof, players like the five listed above might have the best chance. When it comes to collegiate production, maybe Malik Gant or Terez Hall could return to the equation. When looking at a potential special teams role, Andrew Beck might have a solid chance.As things stand right now Color Rush Yodny Cajuste Jersey , Beck, Davis and company appear to have the best odds.Ultimately, however, it all comes down to performance over the next months — this will dictate whether or not 2019 will be the sixteenth straight year of an undrafted rookie finding himself on the Patriots’ opening day roster. Daniels was with the team since 2006."The 2019 offseason has been marked by turnover for the New England Patriots: from the retirement of Rob Gronkowski, to the free agency departures of Trey Flowers and Trent Brown, among others, to six assistant coaches as well as character coach Jack Easterby leaving the team. On top of that it looks like the reigning world champions will now also have to replace a key member of their scouting department.According to a report by ESPN’s Field Yates, national scout DuJuan Daniels will leave the club to pursue other opportunities outside of the organization. Daniels originally joined the Patriots in 2006 as a scouting assistant, before getting promoted to area scout in 2008.Five years later, the former Boston College wide receiver moved up to the national level — a role he has held ever since and in which he earned himself three Super Bowl rings.Daniels was the only member of the club to carry the title of national scout, so it will be interesting to see how the Patriots will fill his role. The most likely scenario is that one of the team’s area scouts gets a promotion. In 2018, New England had six of them working under director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort:Given their experience, it seems as if Debick and Williams are unlikely to be promoted to national scout just yet. The same probably has to be said for Heffelfinger, who has held the same role for the past 14 seasons and saw both Daniels and Ossenfort rise through the ranks in the meantime. This leaves Groh, Howard and Yeargan as the most realistic candidates for internal promotion into Daniels’ former role.