Undersized DT Named As Patriots UDFA To Watch Ahead Of Camp originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New England Patriots reached the Super Bowl last season, which was a bit of a surprise, and the team will look to build off that this year.
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New England made some nice additions in free agency and the draft, but the Patriots could also rely on some undrafted free agents. Ahead of OTAs and training camp beginning, NFL analyst Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report named Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle David Blay Jr. as the UDFA to watch for the Patriots.
“Blay started for a Miami team that played in a national championship game. In 2024 at Louisiana Tech, he recorded 6.5 sacks. Normally, that would be enough to get a player drafted. When you’re a sub-300 pound one-technique tackle, though, it’s another story,” Davenport wrote in an article published on Monday. …
“The Patriots signed very few UDFAs—as of this writing, they can be counted on one hand. Of that small group, Blay is the best bet to make some noise this summer, especially if he can add 10-15 pounds to his frame.”
Blay is undersized to be an NFL nose tackle or defensive tackle, however, the skill is there to make an impact. So, if he can bulk up and add some size, he could make an impact on the defense.
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At Miami last season, Blay recorded 28 tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss, as he failed to record a sack. The year prior at Louisiana Tech, he recorded 46 tackles, 10.5 for a loss, and 6.5 sacks.
Yet, due to his size, Blay will have his hands full in trying to crack the Patriots’ 53-man roster.
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