The New England Patriots entered this offseason looking to give quarterback Mac Jones weapons on the perimeter.
While the additions of receivers DeVante Parker (trade acquisition, Miami Dolphins) and Tyquan Thornton (second-round draft pick) received much of the attention, New England has received strong early contributions from free agent Lil'Jordan Humphrey.
A big wideout at 6-4, 225 pounds, Humphrey went undrafted out of Texas in 2019, but stuck with the New Orleans Saints for three seasons. He made 18 appearances during his time in The Big Easy, cracking the starting lineup six times, four of which came last year.
Humphrey turned in a minor breakout campaign in 2021, recording 13 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He proved to be a big-play threat, with six of his 13 grabs going for over 20 yards and averaging over 19 yards per catch.
Still, when the Patriots signed Humphrey in the middle of June, seemingly nobody batted an eye. Now two preseason games in, and Humphrey has everyone's full attention.
In the opener against the New York Giants, Humphrey caught six passes for 62 yards a score, with his longest reception going for 20 yards. He backed it up in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers, racking up five catches for a team-high 71 yards.
As a receiver, Humphrey's frame makes it difficult for defenders to compete at the catch point, as his strength and catch radius present a pair of significant problems. However, if Humphrey is going to make the team, he'll have to do it by showing out on special teams, something he proved against the Panthers he's more than capable of doing.
Lined up as a gunner, Humphrey was courted by two blockers on a Jake Bailey punt late in the fourth quarter. He started left, saw a gap and cut up field, splitting the two defenders and closing the cushion to Panthers returner Shi Smith.
Bailey's punt landed on the 5-yard line, took a big bounce and was headed towards the end zone.
Until it wasn't.
Humphrey, realizing where the ball fell, took off and made a desperate lunge. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the ball and tossed it backwards, pinning Carolina deep in its own territory with under six minutes to go.
Humphrey saw 45 snaps on special teams a season ago in New Orleans, and he showed that experience matters in situations like the one he found himself in Friday night.
While he still has to survive two more cutdown days, Humphrey's flashes during the 2021 campaign and impressive preseason to date puts him firmly in position to make the Patriots roster out of camp.
Humphrey was never the big-name free agent addition and he'll have to scratch and claw his way on to New England's 53-man roster, but with standout performances like this one, he's quickly becoming a well-known commodity at a position the Patriots greatly need production from.
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