Can Former Knight Tre Nixon Make the Patriots’ Roster?
During Tre Nixon’s career at UCF (2018-2020), he caught 108 passes, 1,652 yards, 15.3 average, and 13 touchdowns. He went on to be selected by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
After missing the cut to make the Patriots’ roster in 2021, Tre Nixon cleared waivers and was signed to New England’s practice squad. He had appeared in three preseason games before being cut, and spent the entire regular season on the practice squad. This year, he will look for an expanded role by competing for a spot on the official roster.
Nixon has already seen 16 targets through two preseason games, as opposed to last year where he managed only three total targets in three preseason games. So far he has hauled in ten receptions for 137 yards.
The Patriots have turned Nixon into a more versatile player than he was for UCF, where he was almost exclusively an outside receiver. He is playing about half-and-half between the slot and outside receiver position for New England. This could help his case in making the roster as he can be useful in multiple different roles. He is also now playing from both sides of the ball, as opposed to in college where he usually lined up to the right side of the quarterback.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has made sure to give Nixon a ton of credit where it is due. About a month ago, he called Nixon, “One of the hardest working kids [the Patriots] have.” Belichick doubled down on his comments last Friday saying, "[Tre’s a] hard-working kid. Tough kid. He was looking for an opportunity, got an opportunity." Sounds like high praise from one of the greatest and most well-respected coaches in the history of sports.
There are five wide receivers on New England’s roster that will almost certainly make the cut before Nixon does, but after that there is somewhat of a gray area. If the Patriots decide to go for more than five receivers, Nixon will have a solid chance of winning that spot. It all depends on what management—and of course, Belichick—decides the roster should look like come week one.
Projected UCF Offensive Depth Chart
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