The Patriots added seven new players in the draft, but once Mr. Irrelevant was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts, the real craziness began for NFL teams, undrafted players and agents.
The remaining draft-eligible players were all snatched up once the draft concluded and, according to NEPatriotsDraft.com, the Patriots snagged 16 undrafted players. The undrafted signings are a fluid process, so some of these may not be confirmed, but here are the players the Patriots are tied to so far: Penn State cornerback Stephon Morris, Akron running back Quentin Hines, Nevada tight end Zach Sudfeld, Penn State center Matt Stankiewitch, Missouri wide receiver T.J. Moe, Kent State offensive lineman Josh Kline, Rutgers cornerback Brandon Jones, Tennessee fullback Ben Bartholomew, Troy safety Kanorris Davis, Missouri tackle Elvis Fisher, Clemson tight end Brandon Ford, Cincinnati wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, Louisiana Tech punter Ryan Allen, South Florida defensive tackle Cory Grissom, Michigan State offensive lineman Chris McDonald and Mississippi State defensive tackle Dewayne Cherrington.
Among the most interesting names in that list are Moe, Sudfield, Stankiewitch, Kline, Fisher and McDonald. Moe shined at the NFL combine with an incredible 6.53-second 3-cone time and and equally impressive 3.96-second short shuttle time. His 4.68-second 40-yard dash won’t receive many compliments, but Moe is a slot receiver, and straight line speed is less important for those players. Wes Welker ran a 4.65 at his pro day and Danny Amendola ran a 4.68 at the combine.
The 6-foot-7 Sudfeld was the 14th rated tight end on NFLDraftScout.com. He had 45 receptions for 598 yards and eight touchdowns in 2012. His 7.08-second 3-cone time likely stood out to New England.
The Patriots have had success in the past with undrafted offensive linemen. New England didn’t select any offensive linemen despite having just nine players at the position going into the draft. That means at least one of these undrafted players will likely either make the team or compete for a spot. Patriots starters Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell both went undrafted, as did reserves Nick McDonald and Markus Zusevics — Chris McDonald is actually Nick McDonald’s brother.
Grissom is also an interesting defensive tackle prospect. He was expected to get drafted out of USF after recording five sacks and 16 1/2 tackles for loss during his career with the Bulls.
Thompkins has a great story coming out of Cincinnati. He was arrested seven times as a youth in his home town of Miami, and then decided to seriously pursue his football career at a California junior college once he saw his younger brother succeed at the sport. He’s stayed out of trouble since and shined with the Bearcats when he got a shot at the FBS level.
