The New England Patriots' rookie minicamp begins this Friday, allowing first-year players to experience NFL life. Activities will include non-contact workouts, physical exams, and introductions to the team's scheme.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 01: Caleb Lomu #OL33 of Utah participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The New England Patriots’ first-year players will get their first real taste of life in the NFL this weekend. It’s rookie minicamp time in Foxborough.
Between Friday and Sunday, the youngsters — who already reported to Gillette Stadium on Thursday — will go through a series of club-led activities. They will participate in non-contact, non-padded workouts with the coaching staff, and also go through physical examinations and first introductions to the Patriots’ scheme and overall daily routine.
The NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement will also have a say in what players are permitted to do this weekend: they are allowed to participate in activities for a maximum of 10 hours per day, while no contact or live tackling is allowed during on-field drills.
In its essence, rookie minicamp is more of an orientation weekend than anything else. That said, it is an important step on the journey from the college game to pro football — one that will be taken by New England’s nine draft picks, 12 reported undrafted free agent signings, and at least 11 players invited for tryouts.
The Players listed here were selected by the Patriots in the 2026 NFL Draft. Only one of them — fifth-round cornerback Karon Prunty — has so far signed his rookie contract, but all of them are nonetheless obligated to participate in the three-day event.
The Patriots' rookie minicamp is scheduled from Friday to Sunday.
Activities will include non-contact workouts, physical examinations, and introductions to the team's daily routine and scheme.
Players are allowed to participate in activities for a maximum of 10 hours per day during minicamp.
No contact or live tackling is allowed during on-field drills at the rookie minicamp.
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The biggest names on the list of draft picks obviously reside at the very top: rookie minicamp will allow coaches, teammates and reporters alike a first glimpse at first-round offensive tackle Caleb Lomu as well as fellow roster locks Gabe Jacas and Eli Raridon. It is far too early to draw any concrete conclusions from a watered-down practice session, but minicamp will nonetheless satisfy the desire for information about them and the rest of this year’s draft class.
The 12 players listed here have reportedly signed with the Patriots as rookie free agents. None of the deals have been made official yet, but the expectation is that the announcement will come at some point on Friday.
The Patriots have always given UDFAs a fair shot to prove that they belong. This is why it would not be a surprise to see one or more of the names listed here eventually end up on the 53-man roster come the regular season — especially considering that six of New England’s nine draft choices happened in Round 5 or later.
The players listed here have been confirmed as minicamp invites on a tryout basis.
With the roster very much in flux at this point in the process, tryouts such as these are a chance for unsigned players to showcase that they are deserving of a spot on the team. While a majority of them will not get offered a contract, some could end up following the lead of offensive lineman Mehki Butler last year: a rookie UDFA, Butler was signed to the team after starting out as a minicamp invitee; he remains on the roster to this day.
As of Friday morning, the Patriots have two open spots on their roster.
Of the three minicamp session, only Saturday’s is open to the media. Make sure to follow Pats Pulpit beat writer Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) for updates from Gillette Stadium, and to check back for our post-practice coverage.