Four Patriots Who May Have Just Lost Their Jobs After the Draft
The New England Patriots completed their draft and post-draft signings over the weekend, ushering in 20 new rookies to the roster. While the annual injection of youth is always fun for fans, it can also lead to some changes being made on the roster from last season.
Keep in mind, we're still months away from training camp kicking off, and even further away from Week 1 of the NFL regular season. But based on how the Patriots operated with their nine draft picks and plenty of undrafted free agent signings, some incumbent players' roster spots could be on the fence.
"The draft's gone great," vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden said. "Look, it's always an exciting time of the year and it's been a pretty exciting couple days. Every draft's unique, and so this one's had its own unique appeal and situation, so it's been fun. You never really know what to expect, and that's kind of the unique and fun part about it."
Here are four Patriots who could potentially enter a positional battle this summer with some of the team's incoming rookies.
RB Terrell Jennings
Jennings entered the offseason as the fourth running back on the roster. When the Patriots released Antonio Gibson a few months back, he then jumped into the third spot on the depth chart. But that spot may be up for grabs now. The team selected Alabama's Jam Miller with their second-to-last pick in the seventh round, and opens the door for a potential competition for the backup job.
Sure, Jennings has the NFL experience under his belt. But injuries derailed the end of 2025 for him, and Miller's potential to make plays happen at the second level will be an interesting storyline this summer.
WR Efton Chism III
The Patriots didn't end up drafting a wide receiver in the draft, which should be a good thing for the second-year Chism, right? Well, they also added four undrafted free agents at that position in the hours that followed. That is what could be a cause for concern for Chism's standing on the roster.
In 2025, Chism broke onto the scene as a UDFA out of Eastern Washington. This year, the Patriots brought in Kyle Dixon (Culver-Stockton), Cameron Dorner (North Texas), Nick DeGennaro (James Madison) and Jimmy Kibble (Georgetown).
Most of those guys are outside receivers -- and shouldn't be competing with Chism in the slot -- but the more names in the building, the tougher it will be for Chism to replicate last season's success.
OL Caedan Wallace
Unlike the wide receiver position, the Patriots invested heavily at offensive line. They drafted Caleb Lomu (Utah) in the first round, Dametrious Crownover (Texas A&M) in the sixth round and signed Jacob Rizy (Florida State) as an undrafted free agent. For current depth players on the line, that isn't a good sign.
Wallace -- entering his third season in New England -- hasn't been able to find his true footing. He spent parts of his rookie year at tackle, before getting switched to guard in 2025. Adding three new faces to an already crowded offensive line room could signal the end of Wallace's tenure in a Pats uniform.
EDGE Bradyn Swinson
The Patriots' final pick of the draft, BC's Quintayvious Hutchins, is an edge rusher that the Patriots have raved about. Because of the dire need for pass rushers on this roster, he'll instantly come into the organization with plenty of eyes on him. Another player, second-year defensive end Bradyn Swinson, will also have several eyes.
Last year, the LSU alum was beat out by undrafted free agent Elijah Ponder for a spot on the 53-man roster. This year, with more additions off the edge (the Patriots drafted Gabe Jacas out of Illinois in the second round), Swinson's job could be in jeopardy once again.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Four Patriots Who May Have Just Lost Their Jobs After the Draft.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 2:00 PM.