Friday officially marked the beginning of the New England Patriots 2026 season as the rookie mini-camp kicked off. Of course, there are no shoulder pads, but the weekend serves as a pseudo-syllabus week with players spending around ten hours a day at the facilities getting their feet under them.
The week is also the first step towards making the 53-man roster as a rookie.
First-round draft pick Caleb Lomu doesn't have to worry about that sort of triviality. But Lomu is far from the only Patriot reporting to camp. Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf's staff has invited 32 players to attend the Patriots' rookie mini-camp (h/t Bernd Buchmasser of PatsPulpit for sourcing all the invitees).
Among the 32 is, of course, New England's nine draft picks. They have also opened the door to 12 undrafted free agents. The UDFA class includes four wide receivers, two cornerbacks, two offensive linemen, a linebacker, a defensive tackle, a tight end and a running back.
There are also 13 players who were invited to try out at the mini-camp. The tryout players are defense-heavy, with a handful of special teamers as well, including a National Champion punter and a long snapper from the University of Alabama.
The Patriots also used Friday to put pen to paper on five late-round draft picks.
Made it official ✍️@Gillette | #NEPats pic.twitter.com/wwvcpRdsF5
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) May 8, 2026
All the contracts given to CB Karon Prunty, T Dametrious Crownover, LB Namdi Obiazor, QB Behren Morton and RB Jam Miller are likely identical. They will be four-year deals, with an AAV of about $1.1 million, with half a million guaranteed at signing.
More NFL: NFL Writer Rates Patriots' Excitement Level Surprisingly High Ahead Of Season