The New England Patriots entered the 2026 offseason with multiple needs to address if the team hoped to repeat its successful 2025 season. Though the season ended with a drubbing at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, the team had to turn its attention to the 2026 offseason immediately and address the deficiencies that led to the Super Bowl blowout.
Among their most pressing needs, especially after they cut Antonio Gibson, was the running back position. They did nothing to add to that room until the seventh round of the draft when they drafted Alabama running back Jam Miller. Ethan Hurwitz of SI.com notes that the rookie running back isn't short on confidence.
The 5'9 1/4", 209-pound Miller is a power-packed back who'll be seeking to take the third running back position vacated by Gibson.
He'll have competition to back up Rhamondre Stevenson and Treveyon Henderson from undrafted free agents (UDFAs), 2025's Lan Larison, who missed last season with an injury, and 2026's Myles Montgomery from UCF. Both will be stiff competition, but he seems to be up for the challenge.
Jam Miller will do whatever it takes to help the Patriots' offense
The smaller back Miller will have his work cut out for him. In 2025, he gained just 504 yards with a 3.9-yard average with three touchdowns. He also had 19 receptions for another 109 yards. Those aren't eye-opening stats, and Miller will have to rely on that confidence factor and a great camp to stick on the 53-man roster or practice squad.
Hurwitz points out that Miller isn't at all lacking in that confidence area.
"The Alabama running back was taken with the 245th overall selection in the seventh round of this year's draft, and joins a room that already has Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson in it. While Miller might not project to be a workhorse in New England this season, he has the opportunity to carve out a niche on the offense.
A lot of that comes from his determination to make it work in whatever he's asked to do. Speaking to reporters after the Patriots' rookie minicamp last week, the 22-year-old Miller said he's open to doing whatever he can in the offense. 'Whatever position they put me in, if it's blocking, running, route running or whatever,' Miller said, 'At the end of the day, Imma do what I got to do just to let this team win.'"
That's just the "do anything they ask me to do" attitude a candidate for that third or fourth running back spot will need to make the Patriots team and stick around in Foxborough. Miller has to be considered a long shot to make the roster, but in the NFL, one never knows.
In 2009, a seventh-round pick named Julian Edelman arrived in Foxborough as a former quarterback willing to do whatever the team needed. He excelled. Perhaps Miller will do the same.
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