Six Patriots Undrafted Rookies Who Actually Matter at OTAs

There is a running back competition brewing for the Patriots this summer. Behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, the team has a little bit of a logjam for the third spot. Terrell Jennings and Lan Larison are returning from last season, while the Patriots drafted Alabama's Jam Miller in the seventh round.

One player to watch though is Montgomery, who comes to the team by way of Central Florida. He already is in the building with a large vote of confidence, as he signed the largest undrafted free agent contract in franchise history ($272,500), and can add breakaway speed and special teams talent to the roster.

WR Kyle Dixon (Culver-Stockton)

If Montgomery's contract status is any indication of how he's viewed in New England, Dixon should be looked at in the same light. The NAIA wideout signed a $252,500 contract, good for fifth-highest in Patriots history and brings size to the wide receiver position. Despite playing "weaker" talent, Dixon's tape pops off the screen and could be a dark horse candidate to win a job.

He'll also be able to play on special teams, something that wide receivers coach Todd Downing told him that'd he'd be able to work on. Dixon wasn't able to play on special teams in college -- his head coach Tom Sallay told Patriots On SI they couldn't afford to put their best player on those units -- but could play it at the NFL level.

WR Cameron Dorner (North Texas)

Dorner might be the most talented of the four undrafted wideouts the Patriots signed this offseason. In 14 games last year with North Texas, Dorner had 56 catches for 911 yards and eight touchdowns.

He worked both inside and outside the numbers during one of the Patriots' rookie minicamp practices, and could hang around if he's able to improve on his speed (he ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash at at his pro day.

OL Jacob Rizy (Florida State)

The Patriots have plenty of faces in the offensive line room, including a pair of rookies that were drafted to play tackle. What they don't have are the largest reserves of backup interior players. Rizy -- who's not new to this region as a former Harvard star -- could potentially sneak up on Ben Brown as the top backup at both guard and center.

LB Khalil Jacobs (Missouri)

New England met with Jacobs three times during the pre-draft process, including hosting him on a "Top 30" visit to the facility. While he didn't end up hearing his name called during the draft, he stuck around unsigned for a week until New England came calling.

The Patriots lost a trio of linebackers this offseason, including Jahlani Tavai (released), Marte Mapu (trade) and Jack Gibbens (free agency). Jacobs, who was a captain at Missouri this past season and was a core special teamer for the Tigers, could easily latch onto a roster spot once the full team emerges for practices

S Peter Manuma (Hawaii)

Manuma came to New England as a tryout player. He left it on the active roster, earning a contract after an impressive showing at rookie minicamp. The Patriots had two open spots and decided to give one of them to the Hawaii safety -- also a former captain at the college level.

Manuma is a hard hitting player in the secondary, a sound tackler and can chip in on special teams. His speed helped his fly around the field when reporters were in attendance, and was back returning punts as well. While his odds may be slimmer than some other UDFAs, Manuma will be a fun name to watch this summer.