Assessing Every New England Patriots UDFA's Chances of Making Final Roster

An undrafted free agent can't ask for a much better situation than landing with the New England Patriots, where dollar figures and draft slotting are only numbers and the only things that matter are what you can do for the team and how well you can do it.

Some undrafted prospects will have a better shot at making the roster than others, and it will not only depend on how well they play, but also how many spots are available at their position. The Patriots made several undrafted free-agent signings at positions of need, but also made some signings at positions where there aren't any clear spots available.

Luckily for those prospects, training camp offers an opportunity to carve out a niche that is not yet filled on the team—and at the very least, to prove one's value on special teams to afford them one more shot to make an impression.

The Patriots signed seven undrafted free agents, but not all of them will make the roster. Which ones have the best shot?

David Andrews, C, Georgia

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The Patriots need answers and depth on the interior of their offensive line. They already added two rookies in the draft in Tre' Jackson (Florida State) and Shaq Mason (Georgia Tech), but now, the Patriots have also added Georgia center David Andrews to the mix.

It'll be a miniature reenactment of some Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. Andrews is 6'2" and 294 pounds, which is not ideal for an NFL center, but he has the athleticism to execute the Patriots' zone-blocking scheme and is comfortable pulling out into space to block in the open field.

He may not be a starting-caliber rookie, but with time, he could fill out his frame and become a more physically dominant player at the line of scrimmage. His status as a technician will earn him good grades, but he may have to show some versatility in order to prove he's worthy of a roster spot. 

Odds: 10 percent

Devin Gardner, WR, Michigan

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The Patriots have a pair of solid slot receivers already, but what they need are more big bodies on the outside. Brandon LaFell and Brian Tyms are a good starting point, and if Aaron Dobson can develop, he'll make a nice addition to last year's group as well.

But if Dobson falls off, or if Tyms falls out of favor, Michigan's Devin Gardner could be a candidate to step into an opening. Gardner spent most of his career at quarterback with 27 starts behind center and four starts at wide receiver. At 6'4" and 216 pounds, though, he has the size to play the position. The question is whether he can translate his skill set.

The Patriots are no strangers to converting college quarterbacks to wide receivers—just ask Julian Edelman—but with so many other roster spots sewed up, it could be exponentially more difficult for Gardner to carve out a niche.

Odds: 10 percent

Chris Harper, WR, California

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The Patriots already have a pair of solid slot receivers in Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, but California's Chris Harper could provide some depth at the position.

At 5'11" and 175 pounds, he's not prototypical for a boundary receiver, but he is ideal for a slot receiver. He finished his Cal career with 163 receptions (seventh in school history) for 2,030 yards and 13 touchdowns (10th in school history). He caught at least one pass in 34 of his 35 career games, according to ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss. That's the kind of consistency that Bill Belichick would admire. 

CBS Sports' Rob Rang remarks that Harper "does not possess DeSean Jackson's straight-line speed but does have a similarly wiry frame with good lateral agility, hands and determination to maximize the yardage gained."

That should make him a good fit in the slot. Unfortunately, there are only so many roster spots to go around, and Edelman, Amendola and Brandon LaFell account for three. It'll be a deep competition for the other two spots between Josh Boyce, Aaron Dobson, Devin Gardner, Brian Tyms and Harper.

Odds: 20 percent

Jimmy Jean, DB, UAB

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At 6'3" and 180 pounds, Alabama-Birmingham's Jimmy Jean has the frame to play either cornerback or safety in the NFL, as he has done over two seasons in college. He's a little skinny for the big leagues, but an NFL strength and conditioning program could help him get into shape to play a big role as a professional.

The question is how much space there will be for him on the roster. The Patriots already have a logjam of safeties in Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Patrick Chung, Tavon Wilson and Jordan Richards, but there are more strong safeties than free safeties. If Jean can show the potential to back up McCourty, there could be space for him on the roster.

With that said, there's nothing about him that stands out as final-roster material from a safety standpoint. Jean will have to show an ability to contribute on special teams if he's going to make the final cut.

Odds: 40 percent

Brandon King, DB, Auburn

What exactly do the Patriots have in mind for Auburn defensive back Brandon King? At 6'2" and 213 pounds, it's a safe bet he's not playing defensive end. Besides, that would not be the best use of his athletic ability. He had a strong pro day, with a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, a 38-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot-6-inch broad jump and 19 reps on the 225-pound bench press. 

King's best fit seems to be at safety, where he played most of his career. The Patriots have a smattering of strong safeties, but do not have many capable deep-coverage safeties to back up Devin McCourty. If King can show some ability in that respect, he could fight for a roster spot.

That won't be enough, though. He'll also have to show some value on special teams in order to oust someone like Tavon Wilson, a three-year veteran who has played on nearly every special teams unit in his career.

Odds: 20 percent

Eric Patterson, DB, Ball State

G.M. Andrews/Associated Press

The Patriots have loaded up for a competition at cornerback. With three undrafted free-agent signings to go with their three veteran free-agent signings as well as their two remaining holdovers from last year, this is shaping up to be quite the battle.

Ball State cornerback Eric Patterson measures in at 5'9" and 197 pounds, making him a better fit for the slot than the perimeter. He showed off some athleticism at his pro day, with a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, a 4.38-second short shuttle, a 36.5-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-2-inch broad jump and 18 reps on a 225-pound bench press. 

Patterson started in 28 of his 41 games at Ball State, finishing with 189 tackles and six interceptions. He also returned kicks as a senior, with 23 returns for 590 yards, which earned him a selection to the 2014 All-MAC first team. 

The last tidbit is important, as Patterson will battle with other cornerbacks who are more established in the NFL but may not offer as much value or upside on special teams. If Patterson can earn some opportunities as a kick returner in practice, he could be in the running for a roster spot or at least a spot on the practice squad.

Odds: 30 percent

Vince Taylor, DL, Vanderbilt

Meet the new Vince. Same as the old Vince?

No one is expecting Vanderbilt defensive lineman Vince Taylor to be the second coming of former Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, but at 6'1" and 310 pounds, Taylor can play on the inside and plug runs in a 4-3 or play at multiple spots in a 3-4 as a two-gapping lineman.

His versatility will help him carve out a role, but his talent will have to carry him the rest of the way. He was never much of a pass-rushing talent, and notched 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 career sacks—all of the sacks came in his senior season.

The Patriots have a deep group of linemen, between Malcom Brown, Dominique Easley, Sealver Siliga, Alan Branch and Chris Jones, so it may be hard for an undrafted rookie to make the cut.

Odds: 10 percent

Unless otherwise noted, all scouting combine and NFL draft notes provided by NFL.com and CBSSports.com.