The New England Patriots' defensive backfield is the team's crown jewel aside from Drake Maye. At cornerback, the unit features Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and Marcus Jones, one of the league's best trios.
The safety room offers its own set of challenges for opposing quarterbacks, with the addition of three-time All-Pro and 2025 interceptions leader Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson entering his second season with the team after a strong rookie campaign.
Despite the loss of Jaylinn Hawkins in free agency, the safety room looks quite strong. The depth, however, is somewhat unproven. Dell Pettus has spent the last two seasons as an emergency fill-in and core special-teamer, so his release would come as a major shock. Mike Brown has also been denoted as an under-the-radar addition given his size and ties to Mike Vrabel.
While Pettus and Brown are the frontrunners for the backup safety roles, there's a clear lack of proven depth. This could give others the opportunity to make a roster push, and this UDFA will be jumping at the opportunity.
It's an uphill battle for tryout players to make the roster
It isn't often that rookie minicamp invitees are given contracts. This past spring, the Patriots hosted a multitude of players at their minicamp, which included their draft picks and undrafted rookies. Along with players under contract are tryout players, who are often long shots to earn a contract, let alone make the roster.
For context, last season saw the Patriots bring in 14 players for tryouts, while six signed. Of the six, Mekhi Butler was the only one who spent any kind of significant time on the practice squad, while Isaiah Iton landed on IR.
Hawai'i safety Manuma was one of only two players to be signed after a tryout, former James Madison edge defender Xavier Holmes being the other. Manuma and Holmes were the only ones signed from a pool of 17 tryout players.
Peter Manuma could be the best underdog story of the summer
The Patriots have a number of undrafted players with chances to make the roster. Former Colorado State and Illinois tight end Tanner Arkin may have the best chance given his especially high signing bonus, but the team made several other interesting additions after the draft.
In addition to Arkin, receivers Kyle Dixon and Cameron Dorner were productive players last year, while versatile offensive lineman Jacob Rizy was pegged by ESPN's Mike Reiss as a potential Rob Ninkovich-esque breakout player. Defensive tackle David Blay Jr. won the National Championship with the Miami Hurricanes last year.
While Manuma wasn't signed right away, it doesn't mean he can't make an impact. The safety played 792 snaps for the Rainbow Warriors last season, splitting time between box (48%) and free safety (39.5%) roles. Additionally, Manuma played a core special teams role for the Mountain West squad, with 376 snaps in four seasons, 106 of which came in 2025.
The Patriots lost over 1,000 special teams snaps with the departures of linebackers Jack Gibbens, Jahlani Tavai, and Marte Mapu. They lost another 208 with the departures of Alex Austin and Miles Battle, and with Jack Westover being replaced as the fullback, they'd lose another 237 snaps if he's released.
If New England sees upside for Manuma as a safety, his special teams acumen could give him all the more reason to earn a roster spot. Other Patriots safeties began their careers as special teams contributors, including Patrick Chung. Chung and Manuma have 40-yard dash times within 0.02s of each other and are in the same weight class.
The ex-Oregon Duck played a key role as a personal protector on punts early in his career, famously calling an audible for a failed fake punt in the 2011 Divisional Round that eventually led to the Jets beating the Patriots 28-21. Ideally, Manuma would follow in Chung's footsteps as a key defensive player and special-teamer without the mishaps.
Given Manuma's speed and special teams acumen, he has the opportunity to contribute right away with a strong summer. A captain and team defensive MVP, the longshot safety has the intangibles and athleticism required to make a push for the final 53 against all odds.
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