The New England Patriots exited rookie minicamp with two open roster spots on their preliminary 90-man roster to begin the 2026 season. That’s now down to one, as they’ve reportedly agreed to terms with one of their 17 tryout players.
The New England Patriots entered rookie minicamp with two open spots on the 90-man roster, with 88 players signed to contracts for the 2026 season. In addition to their nine 2026 draft picks and 12 undrafted rookie free agent signings, New England took the field for rookie minicamp with 17 additional players invited to try out for the team.
One of those 17 — former Hawaii Rainbow Warriors safety Peter Manuma — has stuck around past rookie minicamp, and is reported to be signing a contract with the Patriots to join the 90-man roster. He previously tried out for the Seattle Seahawks.
Manuma stands at 6’0”, 200 lbs., and impressed during Saturday’s practice session that was open to the media. He was a consistent presence at the third level of Hawaii’s defense as a four-year starter, being named an All-Mountain West Honorable Mention selection in each of his four years with the Rainbow Warriors.
In 2025, Manuma was named a team captain for Hawaii and earned honors as the team’s Defensive MVP, leading Rainbow Warriors with 80 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and seven pass breakups — a career-best mark. In his four-year collegiate career, Manuma totaled 280 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two sacks, five interceptions, 20 passes defensed, and three forced fumbles.
He brings good size to the safety spot, and showcased NFL-caliber speed at his Pro Day during the pre-draft process — running a 4.47-second 40-yard dash. He added a 35.5" vertical jump, 10'0" broad jump, and 7.01-second three-cone drill to his athletic testing metrics. Those traits allowed him to become a steady contributor as a deep safety during his collegiate days, earning recognition for his coverage skills and range.
For the Patriots, safety remained a need following the 2026 NFL Draft. After meeting with prospects like Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 58th overall pick) that carried consensus first-round grades and depth prospects through the third and fourth rounds, New England exited the draft without selecting a player that could fill the depth-void behind Craig Woodson and new arrival Kevin Byard III.
With Manuma signed, the Patriots are carrying seven safeties on the 90-man roster: Mike Brown, Kevin Byard III, Peter Manuma, Dell Pettus, John Saunders Jr., Brendan Schooler, and Craig Woodson.
Byard and Woodson remain the clear leaders in the room, but with no significant defensive contributors behind them, Manuma joins the 90-man roster with a legitimate pathway to earn a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster if he continues to impress through the summer and fall.
Manuma’s ascension as a developmental prospect will be worth monitoring during the lead-up to the 2026 regular season.
What are you expecting to see from Manuma as the summer continues along? Are there other rookie minicamp participants you’re looking forward to seeing more from? Let us know in the comments section below.
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