Takeaways from New England Patriots 2026 Rookie Minicamp

The New England Patriots held rookie minicamp from May 8-10, including a practice session that was open to the media on Saturday, May 9.

Rookie minicamp is an opportunity for first-year players to become acclimated to their new NFL organizations on the field, with light drills in an unpadded environment. For New England, it was the first time we saw their nine-pick 2026 draft class, 12 undrafted rookie free agent (UDFA) signings, and 17 tryout players in action.

Today, we’ll review the biggest takeaways from the Patriots' 2026 rookie minicamp.

In addition to their nine selections from the 2026 NFL Draft, undrafted rookie free agent class, and the nine previously reported rookie minicamp invitees, New England welcomed an additional ten players in for tryouts:

Contrary to earlier reports, former Marshall wide receiver Demarcus Lacey and Fresno State defensive lineman Korey Foreman were not listed on the rookie minicamp roster.

Other Patriots that participated in rookie minicamp included guard Mekhi Butler, cornerback Brandon Crossley, offensive tackle Lorenz Metz, and wide receiver Jeremiah Webb. All spent time on the practice squad in Foxboro last season.

The pullout headline from Saturday’s open practice session was first-round pick Caleb Lomu spending the entire day at left tackle. Lomu started at left tackle at Utah for the past two seasons, but many predicted a switch to the right side for the former Ute when he was selected by New England in the 2026 NFL Draft.

That’s still likely to be the case. With the Patriots standing their ground in regards to Will Campbell’s long-term future at left tackle and Eliot Wolf confirming that the plan for Lomu was to flip to the right side shortly after drafting him, New England’s singular open-media practice session in early May won’t move the needle.

More probable is the Patriots’ coaching staff treating rookie minicamp as an introduction to organized team drills at the professional level. Rather than swapping player positions on day one, their light walkthrough served as just that — a “what to expect” session that got new faces acclimated to their environment.

Lomu’s history as a left tackle could prove useful in the short-term as a swing tackle or tackle-eligible option in year one, and he’s likely to work at both positions through the summer and into the fall.

Similarly, sixth-round tackle Dametrious Crownover — a career right tackle at Texas A&M after converting from tight end in 2022 — spent the practice exclusively at his more natural spot on the right side. A fringe top-100 consensus prospect who was taken at pick 196, Crownover could provide value as an additional substitute behind Lomu at offensive tackle.

While Lomu worked the left side of the offensive line, second-round pick Gabe Jacas and third-round pick Eli Raridon did not participate in the on-field drills on Saturday.

Raridon was in the building to sign his contract, so his involvement will likely increase as the team continues to work in late May and into early June. The Notre Dame tight end projects to provide great value as an in-line blocker and athletic receiving threat for Drake Maye on downfield throws.

Jacas’ contract negotiations are ongoing, and while he didn’t run through drills, he was in his No. 50 jersey on the sidelines. His unsigned contract is not unusual around this time of year — last offseason, second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson’s negotiations spanned into June before receiving a fully guaranteed deal. Jacas is likely looking for a similar compensation structure.

The lone quarterback at rookie minicamp, New England’s seventh-round, No. 234 overall selection — Behren Morton of Texas Tech — did enough to make a positive impact on the day. He finished the 11-on-11 period a perfect 12-of-12, shaking off a high pass early and settling into the offense quickly.

The former Red Raider had lingering health-related question marks as a draft prospect, playing 2023 and 2024 with a sprained right AC joint and the back-half of 2025 with a fractured right fibula. In his post-practice media availability, he commented that he feels as healthy as he did in high school — and proved that with an impressive first showing on the field in Foxboro.

A higher-profile undrafted rookie free agent signing, former Culver-Stockton wide receiver Kyle Dixon was active early and often during the team drills on Saturday. He led all receivers with four receptions on four targets during the 11-on-11 period.

Dixon’s larger frame (6’2”, 220 lbs.) may suggest a role outside as an X receiver, but he aligned primarily as a Z receiver. With the expected arrival of A.J. Brown as an X, the Z role may be a more realistic path to a roster spot for Dixon; he could challenge Mack Hollins as a larger body in condensed-split formations for extra support run blocking with good short-area quickness and sure hands as a receiver underneath.

His large contract as a UDFA ($252,000 in guarantees) would suggest that the Patriots have confidence he’ll develop into a contributor, and that role may be more ripe for competition if he also brings value on special teams.

In the latter stages of Saturday’s practice, former Boston College edge rusher Quintayvious Hutchins — New England’s No. 247 selection in the seventh round — exited practice with an injury. He did not return to the field.

Hutchins enters the NFL as an undersized defensive linemen (6’3”, 233 lbs.) that shows great first-step quickness off the edge and vast experience as a special-teamer. On the Patriots minicamp roster, his official listed weight was 245 lbs. — a significant bump-up as he prepares for the rigors of professional line work.

Other performances of note from rookie minicamp included UDFA linebacker Khalil Jacobs — who rotated with sixth-round pick Namdi Obiazor at the WILL linebacker spot — and tryout players Jordan Kwiatkowski, Peter Manuma, and Mitch McCarthy.

Kwiatkowski is a linebacker who played his college ball at Central Michigan and took the majority of his reps as the MIKE linebacker during Saturday’s practice. He had great production and flashed sideline-to-sideline speed in the MAC.

Manuma was a four-time All-Mountain West Honorable Mention at safety for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, and could provide depth as a deep-third defender in the secondary.

McCarthy is an Australian-born punter that transferred to Indiana in 2025 and averaged 41.6 net yards per punt. His addition to the specialist room would be an under-the-radar position to monitor, as incumbent Bryce Baringer enters the final year of his rookie contract coming off of a year plagued with inconsistencies. Thus far, no competition at punter has officially been added to the roster, but McCarthy’s presence at minicamp certainly opens the door.

With rookie minicamp in the books, New England now looks ahead to Organized Team Activities (OTAs), which begin on May 27. The Patriots will operate with 88 roster spots filled out of a possible 90 for the next two weeks, so there is an opportunity to add one or two rookie minicamp tryout players to the team in a more official capacity before OTAs kickoff later this month.

Which rookie minicamp participant are you looking forward to seeing more from? Are there any tryout players you’d like to see signed to the roster? Let us know in the comments section below.

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