Patriots Rookies Officially Report to Training Camp: Here's What to Know

We're one step closer to football officially returning into our daily lives, as the New England Patriots' rookies are set to report to Gillette Stadium Tuesday for the start of training camp.

The crop, from the nine players drafted to the plenty who signed as undrafted free agents, all have an opportunity to crack their first 53-man rosters this summer.

Training camp won't officially kick off until this Saturday, where the entire team will take to the practice field in front of their fans for the first time.

It will also be the first time the fans will get to watch the rookie class, including first round offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. The 28th overall pick in the draft doesn't have a set spot in place right now, but that could easily change during the summer.

Lomu's Versatility Will Be On Display

During spring practices, Lomu repped at left tackle, right tackle and even a bit at guard. When he was on the field, he looked good in uniform. But without pads, it was hard to truly assess where he was in his development.

According to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, the rookie is doing a great job at absorbing what he's being taught.

Jun 10, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tackle Caleb Lomu (74) waits to speak to the media after minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Great attitude. Awesome kid," McDaniels said in June. "Love his personality. Practices his butt off every day. A sponge. Again, we’ve done a tremendous job of bringing in a bunch of guys that just want to learn, try to get better, and work hard. And so Caleb’s at the head of the class in terms of the rookies for us."

He'll likely start the summer as the top swing tackle, but could compete for a starting job on either side if he shines bright enough.

What's Up With Gabe Jacas?

New England trading three picks to move up and select the Illinois edge rusher. He's yet to participate in a practice since, being spotted for just one rookie minicamp session before disappearing from public view.

Mike Vrabel told reporters that he underwent a procedure in the offseason, something that is most certainly hindering him from signing his name on a rookie contract. With the first training camp practice rapidly nearing, that also means we'll get a Jacas update pretty soon.

There hasn't been any movement on him signing his contract, which ESPN reported is being held up by a participation clause. If he doesn't ink his name on the dotted line, there will start to be real concerns about his abiliity to not fall drastically behind.

Jam Miller vs Myles Montgomery

The Patriots' top two running backs (Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson) are without a question. The third man in the group is what we don't know yet. While there are two veterans also competing for that job (Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison), earning that spot could come down to two rookies.

Miller, the Patriots' seventh round pick out of Alabama, is more of a compact runner with the ability to get downhill carrying the ball. He's not the greatest when it comes to pass protection, though. On the other hand, Montgomery is an undrafted free agent from UCF who looked really good in OTAs. His talents catching the ball out of the backfield could be something to watch in McDaniels' offense.

UDFA WRs Can Make Some Noise

Jun 10, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Nick DeGennaro (23) arrives at the practice field for minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Eliot Wolf said after the draft that he felt like the team would be competitive in the undrafted free agent wide receiver market. That wasn't wrong at all, as they signed four players at the position.

While the wide receiver room made plenty of noise this offseason (Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown, I'm lookiing at you), there's still a chance for one of these players to truly pop when the pads come on. Kyle Dixon (Culver-Stockton), Cameron Dorner (North Texas), Jimmy Kibble (Georgetown) and Nick DeGennaro (James Madison) all have different skill sets that could fit into a passing attack if they're given a shot.

We saw Efton Chism III break onto the scene last summer and earn a role on the 53-man roster. There's certainly a way that one of those four players can jump up in the depth chart and make some contributions.

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