Bill Belichick Reveals How Patriots Will Use Newest Offensive Addition

FOXBORO, Mass. — Jalen Hurd has played both wide receiver and running back in his NFL career, but the Patriots plan to have him focus on the former.

Though New England has a long history of trying out players at multiple positions, head coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday said Hurd, who signed with the team ahead of training camp, will play receiver as he attempts an NFL comeback.

Hurd first gained recognition as a highly productive running back at Tennessee, rushing for 1,285 yards and 12 touchdowns in a 2015 Volunteers backfield that also featured Alvin Kamara. Hurd later transferred to Baylor, switched to wideout and caught 69 passes for 946 yards and four scores, plus 48 carries, as a senior in 2018.

The 49ers drafted Hurd in the third round in 2019 to play receiver, but serious injuries to his back (2019) and knee (2020 and 2021) prevented him from ever appearing in a regular-season game for San Francisco. He was cut in November 2021 and was out of football until this week, when he successfully parlayed a Patriots workout into a contract offer.

Hurd, whose only NFL experience has come in the preseason, will enter training camp as a roster longshot. With JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton occupying the top four rungs on New England’s depth chart, the 27-year-old will compete with Tre Nixon, Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Ed Lee, Raleigh Webb and converted quarterback Malik Cunningham for the final one or two spots on the 53-man roster.

At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Hurd will be the tallest receiver in Patriots camp, and some of his new teammates are familiar with his skill set. He and Thornton overlapped for one season at Baylor, and Bourne was with him for his first two years in San Francisco.

The Patriots also signed former Navy linebacker Diego Fagot on Monday, giving them a full 90-man roster entering Wednesday’s first camp practice.

“We want to work with them,” Belichick said.

The Patriots still could add to their running back room in the coming weeks, as they currently lack proven depth behind lead back Rhamondre Stevenson. They recently hosted veterans Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson for free agent visits and reportedly are among the teams interested in Dalvin Cook.

Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris and J.J. Taylor currently round out New England’s backfield.