After appearing to hit it out of the park in this year's draft, early signs indicated the Patriots might have lucked out with some undrafted free agents, as well. That looked to be the case with training camp standouts fullback Brock Lampe and running back Lan Larison, only for the pair to suffer season-ending injuries before taking the field this fall.
The most notable of all has been preseason superstar receiver Efton Chism III, who surprisingly made the 53-man roster for the season and could be a secret weapon for Drake Maye at some point during the year. Then there is second-year undrafted tight end Jack Westover, who made his mark early in practice and appeared to solidify his role on the offense throughout the summer.
He made the 2025 team as the TE3 behind Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, but it now appears he will be serving another role instead.
It's well-documented just how much offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels loves to have a fullback on his roster. That was why early reports believed Lampe would make the team for that position. But with him sidelined, Westover has now taken on that spot, as he has already changed his jersey number to reflect the switch.
For those updating Patriots rosters at home, please note that Jack Westover has switched to 37 (also his number at University of Washington).
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 2, 2025
He had been No. 87 in NE.
Switch highlights how Westover’s primary role has been a FB-type with added duties on special teams.
That was further confirmed on the Patriots' unofficial depth chart, with Westover now officially listed as a fullback as of Tuesday afternoon.
It didn't take long for Josh McDaniels to fill an offensive void on the Patriots' roster
Throughout his time in New England and even as a head coach in Las Vegas, McDaniels has utilized the often-overlooked position of fullback. That's a big reason why there were rumors connecting the Patriots to Jakob Johnson after the Raiders released him during roster cuts, only for him to return to the practice squad the next day.
McDaniels often deployed players like James Develin or Johnson in special offensive situations, often on short downs or near the goal line, to add another big body to the offensive line or use their size to their advantage to score a touchdown.
That looks to be what they're hoping to do with the 6’2", 245-pound Westover this upcoming season, and considering the lack of depth on their offensive line and the questions surrounding Rhamondre Stevenson's fumbling issues, it seems like the best idea to add some security.
Based on McDaniels' history of usage, there's a good chance we will see Westover on the field a lot over the next few months. The Patriots attempted to do that with 2020 draft picks, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, who wound up being busts, never turning out as they had hoped.
Now that McDaniels is back in the saddle, Westover might prove to be the right guy for the job after years of wanting to fill the hole left by Develin after he retired in 2019. It would provide some cushion for some of the more questionable parts of the offense and give Drake Maye some security in case things go left, which makes Westover far more valuable than the typical fullback.