Patriots QB D'Eriq King: New Secret Weapon on Offense?

D'Eriq King may be the next in a line of versatile Patriots receivers.

While the New England Patriots' draft picks have gotten a tremendous amount of buzz, little attention has been paid to the Patriots' undrafted free agent signings. 

Flying under the radar, newly acquired Miami quarterback D'Eriq King may be the secret weapon the New England offense needs to get an edge in a competitive AFC field.

D'Eriq King

Bill Belichick

Cole Strange

King is primarily listed as a quarterback despite only standing at 5-9 and 196 pounds. He showed great production for Miami in the 2020 season, passing for 2,686 yards and 23 touchdowns at a completion rate of 64.1 percent. His 2021 season was cut short by a shoulder injury that required him to miss all but three games in the season. 

In addition to showing a decent arm, King's mobility was consistently excellent. He rushed for 538 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2020, making him a solid running threat. 

Interestingly, King also has significant experience at receiver. As a freshman and sophomore at Houston, King accumulated 58 total catches for 492 yards and a touchdown. 

This aspect of King's game makes him a unique fit for the Patriots offense. New England, especially recently, has a history of former quarterbacks-turned-receivers. Most notably, former Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman started off as a quarterback for Kent State before transitioning to receiver. Similarly, in the 2020 season, Jakobi Meyers threw a touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens in a Week 10 matchup as a throwback to his high school quarterbacking days. 

(Photo cred: CNN)

Julian Edelman

Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Jakobi Meyers

Brian Fluharty - USA Today Sports

Julian Edelman

King offers a lot of versatility for the offense that could allow him to produce as a wildcat player, receiver, or even kick returner. Given that the Patriots currently have an 18-year long streak of an undrafted free agent making the 53-man roster, it's worth keeping an eye on King -- he might just surprise everyone this fall.