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Patriots 90-Man Roster Spotlight: K.J. Osborn

Originally posted on Patriots Football Now
By Dan Kelley | Last updated Aug 10, 2024 5:02 PM ET

The New England Patriots can have up to 90 players under contract during the offseason. Patriots Football Now will profile all 90 players over the upcoming weeks. Today’s featured player is K.J. Osborn.

K.J. Osborn

The Minnesota Vikings selected Osborn in the fifth round (No. 176 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft. He played three seasons collegiately for Buffalo before transferring to Miami (Fla.) for his final college season. He finished his college career with 146 receptions, 2,037 yards, and 17 touchdowns.

Minnesota used Osborn exclusively as a return specialist as a rookie. He appeared in nine games but saw no snaps on offense. Osborn returned 14 kickoffs (21.6 average) and seven punts (3.9 average). He continued as the Vikings punt returner in 2021, increasing his return average to 5.8 on four returns. He has never fumbled in the NFL.

K.J. Osborn became a contributor on offense over his next three seasons. He amassed 158 receptions, 1,845 yards, and 15 touchdowns over that span. His average of 53 receptions, 615 yards, and five touchdowns as a compliment to Justin Jefferson over that time would have placed him near the top of the Patriots leaderboards last season in all three categories.

Cousins finds Osborn to give the Vikings the lead with 45 seconds to go!

: #DETvsMIN on FOX
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/SIf6kbgsTi pic.twitter.com/WMwCCcsbrP

— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2022

Pro Football Focus viewed Osborn’s 2023 performance unfavorably. He received a 53.9 offensive grade. For context, anything below 60.0 is considered replaceable by a non-roster His first two seasons playing on offense resulted in a 64.9 and 65.1.

Contract Status

K.J. Osborn signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots this offseason. His cap number for 2024 is $3.96 million.

Patriots Wide Receivers

The New England Patriots released JuJu Smith-Schuster yesterday. In addition to K.J. Osborn, the wide receiver room currently consists of Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Kawaan Baker, JaQuae Jackson, and David Wallis.

Outlook for K.J. Osborn

Kendrick Bourne (currently on PUP) seems unlikely to start the season active for New England. Osborn is a strong candidate to start if Bourne remains out. DeMario Douglas and Ja’Lynn Polk should start as well. Although not a lock for the 53-man roster, the current regime led by Eliot Wolf brought Osborn to New England, which bodes well for his odds.

Osborn played only five snaps in the Patriots preseason opener against the Panthers. He lined up on the outside three times, in the slot once, and returned a punt. Osborn would be considered an emergency punt returner in the regular season if Marcus Jones is available.

K.J. Osborn is one of many wild cards for the New England Patriots offense in 2024. The unit was a failure a year ago and they attempted to bring in an infusion of talent to help turn things around this season. The quarterback and offensive line play will be huge for New England. But newcomers at skill positions are needed to keep defenses honest. In addition to the rookies, veterans like Antonio Gibson, Austin Hooper, and K.J. Osborn will try to help put points on the board for the Patriots more regularly this season.

This article first appeared on Patriots Football Now and was syndicated with permission.

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