Patriots may have found a hidden gem among their forgotten UDFAs

The 2025 season was a fantastic one for the New England Patriots, as they propelled themselves from the worst team in the AFC East to the AFC's No. 2 seed in a year. A massive piece of that was the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Patriots made 11 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. Nine of the 11 made the initial 53-man roster, while the other two draft picks were eventually elevated from the practice squad.

11 rookies are already a ridiculous number to have on the roster, but the team went a step further by keeping three undrafted rookies. Efton Chism III was the star of the preseason, an August effort capped by a six-catch, 71-yard first half against the Vikings that included a touchdown.

The team also saw enough in Cal Poly edge defender Elijah Ponder to give him a spot on the 53-man roster over Bradyn Swinson, the Patriots' fifth-round pick who led LSU in sacks and TFLs in 2024.

The last of the three UDFAs in 2025 was Eric Gregory, a defensive tackle from Arkansas who spent the preseason with the Bengals. New England claimed him off waivers, and Bengals fans weren't exactly pleased.

While each of the three played in their rookie years, each saw minimal roles. Going into their sophomore campaigns, the question becomes: which of the three will make the biggest impact?

Whta type of impact should fans expect from each of the sophomore UDFAs?

WR Efton Chism III

While I'd expect Chism to have a bigger role this season than he did in 2025, I wouldn't expect him to blow the doors off the Patriots' offense just yet. Given the team's additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs to the offense, throwing the ball to the outside will almost certainly be the primary offense. Pop Douglas remains the top slot man, but that could change if Chism has a strong summer.

During his final season at Eastern Washington, Chism lined up in the slot 70.1% of the time. This past season, that rate dropped to just 21.2%. I'd expect him to return to his college snap rate in his second season, but even if he wins the starting slot, he'd be the fourth receiving option.

Chism could see a significant uptick in snaps, but I wouldn't expect more than 400 yards, similar to Jakobi Meyers' rookie season.

DT Eric Gregory

Defensive tackle is arguably New England's deepest position. Gregory played significant snaps toward the end of the season, seeing action for the first time in Week 11. In six games played, he averaged 21 snaps per game. He had three pressures (5at a .3% rate) and two stops during that time.

With Khyiris Tonga's departure, there's a role for a lesser-known player to step into. Gregory will compete with Joshua Farmer and Leonard Taylor III for snaps as a depth piece along the defensive line. UDFA David Blay Jr. has also been the source of some early hype after strong play at Louisiana Tech and a National Championship-winning season at Miami.

Gregory has an inside track to make the team as one of the team's top six along the interior. Whether he can step in as the primary nose tackle remains to be seen, but it will be fascinating to see his development over the summer.

ED Elijah Ponder

While Chism may be the most hyped 2025 UDFA by fans, Ponder may have the biggest impact in 2026. The former Cal Poly edge defender played the biggest role of the three after beating out Swinson for the last edge-defender role, and his snap count increased dramatically following the trade of Keion White.

Before Week 10, Ponder had seven games played to his name, averaging 7.6 snaps per game and a 9% pressure rate without a sack. From Week 10 onward, he averaged 21.8 snaps per game, his pressure rate jumped to 11.9%, and he had four sacks.

Ponder's uptick in snaps, particularly in the playoffs, was impressive. He averaged 24.8 snaps per game in the postseason, compared to 14.3 in the regular season.

Combined with his unique athletic profile (97th percentile for defensive ends) and New England's need on the edge, Ponder could easily step in and have a 6-8 sack season if they don't add another veteran.

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