How This Under-The-Radar Patriots Rookie Earned Roster Spot

FOXBORO, Mass. — Two of the Patriots’ sixth-round draft picks dominated headlines during the lead-up to cutdown day, with wide receivers Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte both locking down spots after strong summers.

A third, Bryce Baringer, will play a key role in New England’s kicking game after beating out veteran Corliss Waitman for the punting job.

But the Patriots also carved out a 53-man roster spot for their fourth and final sixth-rounder — a player whose name might be unfamiliar to many casual fans.

That player: Ameer Speed.

Speed, who won a national championship at Georgia before finishing his college career at Michigan State, is listed as a cornerback and saw reps there during training camp. The odds of him contributing on defense this season, however, are slim.

Instead, expect Speed to become the latest in a long line of Patriots special teams aces. The 22-year-old was a staple on many of New England’s kicking-game units throughout the summer, including filling a prominent role as the personal protector on the punt team.

Longtime special teams captain Matthew Slater likes what he’s seen from his newest protege.

“He’s been like a sponge,” Slater said Tuesday after Speed made the team. “We’ve asked Ameer to do a lot since he’s got here, and he’s really handled it well. I’ve really been impressed with his football IQ. We’ve literally asked him to play dang near every position on kickoff, punt and return game, and he’s done a great job.”

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Speed’s two greatest attributes: size and, yes, speed. He’s listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at his pre-draft pro day. That time would have been fourth-best among cornerbacks at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, and Speed is at least four inches taller than the three players who ran faster.

Slater likened Speed — whom Bill Belichick called “a developmental player” a week before cutdown day — to Patriots teammate Brenden Schooler, a similarly athletic special teamer who was excellent as an undrafted rookie last season.

“He’s got a unique skill set,” Slater said. “Similar to Brother School, he’s big and fast, and that’s a matchup problem for a lot of people in this league when you’ve got guys that are big and can run like those two.

Speed, Schooler and Slater were three of the four players designated as special teamers in the Patriots’ 53-man roster announcement. Linebacker Chris Board, who’s garnered rave reviews from Belichick and Slater, was the other.

New England also has Cody Davis, who will be eligible to return from the physically unable to perform list after Week 4.

The value of rostering another special teams-only player like Speed is debatable, especially since it meant cutting Bailey Zappe and exposing the backup quarterback to waivers. But Belichick clearly believed such a move was necessary to shore up a unit that ranked dead last in the NFL last season.

“We’re excited to have him,” Slater said, “and we know we’ve got a lot of work to do.”