Jalen Hurd Fills Final Spot On Patriots’ 90-Man Training Camp Roster

A group of free agents worked out for the New England Patriots on the eve of veterans reporting for training camp.

Jalen Hurd was among them. He will now take the final open spot on a roster of 90 players.

The organization made the wide receiver’s signing official on Tuesday, as first reported by theScore’s Jordan Schultz, marking the next step in a comeback attempt.

Hurd, the No. 67 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, has never appeared in a game beyond the preseason since entering the league. A back injury saw his rookie year with the San Francisco 49ers end on injured reserve after three weeks on the inactives list. A torn ACL followed in training camp leading up to the 2020 campaign.

And in 2021, Hurd’s return from knee surgery instead became a return to injured reserve by September. An injury settlement with San Francisco was reached that November. The former Tennessee Volunteer and Baylor Bear went through waivers unclaimed. He remained a free agent for all of 2022.

But two spots remained open. New England’s agreement with Hurd was announced one day after the team signed ex-Navy linebacker and fellow workout visitor Diego Fagot, the 89th member of the roster.

“We want to work with them,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said of the latest arrivals during his pre-training camp press conference at Gillette Stadium.

The plan is for Hurd to work at wideout, Belichick confirmed to reporters. It’s where the 27-year-old finished his collegiate career as the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year. While totaling 69 catches for 946 yards and four touchdowns in his lone fall on the field for Baylor, an additional 48 carries for 209 yards and three touchdowns were logged on the ground before missing the 2018 Texas Bowl due to a knee procedure.

Prior to then, the redshirted SEC transfer from Tennessee as well as the running back position had logged 2,635 rushing yards, 492 receiving yards, 26 scrimmage scores and been named the 2016 Outback Bowl MVP.

Hurd, listed at 6-foot-4, 227 pounds, will look to catch onto a Patriots depth chart that is led by DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster and sophomore second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, a 2018 Baylor teammate. He begins his long-shot bid in a receiver competition also includes Ty Montgomery, Tre Nixon, Raleigh Webb and rookies Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas, Malik Cunningham and Ed Lee.

New England’s opening practices of training camp are set to kick off Wednesday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. ET.