The New England Patriots have largely completed the three most significant aspects of any offseason (absent trades). Expert grades have been mixed on how well they improved on their 2025 roster. With a far more challenging schedule awaiting them, improvement was essential.
Free agency and the NFL Draft are the two mainstays of any team's targeted offseason additions, from which the majority of their new personnel will arrive. Undrafted rookie free agents are typically among the final players to join the 90-man roster ahead of training camp.
Yet, UDFAs can be the wild cards in this game, and gold can sometimes be discovered there. The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner is intrigued by wide receiver Kyle Dixon of Culver-Stockton College in Missouri, who was recently signed by the Patriots. Neither Dixon nor Culver-Stockton was a household name in college football.
The Patriots’ investment in Kyle Dixon suggests he's more than just another camp body
The Patriots signed 12 undrafted rookies after the draft, and Dixon may be getting the most attention. Normally, UDFA signings are brushed off as camp bodies and long shots to make NFL teams. But in the Patriots' case, this ground has been fertile in the past. It's delivered such notable players as Super Bowl-winning kicker Adam Vinatieri, long-time center David Andrews, Super Bowl-winning playmaker Malcolm Butler, cornerback Jonathan Jones, and receiver Jacobi Meyers, among others.
The Patriots signed Dixon to a sizeable UDFA contract for $252,500 — the third-highest ever by the team — and lots of eyes will be pointed his way beginning with the rookie minicamp.
NAIA to NFL: Former Culver-Stockton College WR Kyle Dixon is signing with the Patriots on a deal with $252,500 in guarantees.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 26, 2026
Dixon (6-2, 220) posted a 40.5 vertical and 10-11 broad at Mizzou pro day. Repped by Hardik Sanghavi of Exclusive Sports Group. pic.twitter.com/Qgr2tR5QSl
Baumgardner sees Dixon as a definite Patriots rookie to watch.
"A 6-foot-2, 220-pound NAIA receiver with a 40 1/2-inch vertical and 10-11 broad jump, Dixon had a combined 143 catches for 2,394 yards and 24 touchdowns during his last two college seasons...Originally a college baseball player at SIU-Edwardsville, Dixon is newer to football but highly intriguing.”
In addition to the star players mentioned, recent examples of UDFAs carving out a position on the 53-man roster include 2025's terrific group: slot receiver Efton Chism III, tight end C.J. Dippre, and defensive end Elijah Ponder. Running back Lan Larison also had a chance but went out with a season-ending injury.
The Patriots are a team that will go with the best players, no matter how they joined the team, where they were previously, or what they did before. Their excellent track record of UDFAs sticking on the final roster is instructive — and it's why this year's top-rated UDFA, Kyle Dixon, bears very close watching.
Add us as a preferred source on Google