Jake Bequette Position Changed: Patriots Move Edge Defender to Tight End

When the New England Patriots selected edge defender Jake Bequette in the 90th overall in the 2012 NFL Draft, there was a hope that he would pair with first round pick Chandler Jones to create one of the best pass rushing tandems in the league. While Chandler is still climbing his way up the league rankings, Bequette never panned out.

Bequette was a healthy scratch for 23 of 32 regular season games over his first two seasons, and spent his third year- last season- on the practice squad. This is not the ideal career trajectory for a 3rd round pick.

It seems that Bequette hasn't given up hope and is willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the league. So without further ado, let's welcome new Patriots tight end Jake Bequette!

Bequette is an exciting prospect with a 6'5, 275 lbs frame, and an electric 4.07 shuttle and 6.90 three cone more fitting for a cornerback than a tight end. While he ran a 4.84 40 at the combine with a bad shoulder, he torched a 4.56 time at his Pro Day prior to his senior year (which should be taken with a grain of salt).

With current Patriots edge defender Rob Ninkovich is one of the top physical comparables for Bequette, his top tight end comparison is Owen Daniels, one of the most productive tight ends of the past decade. Bequette also compares favorably to Ben Hartsock, Joel Dreessen, Jordan Cameron, Greg Olsen, and Chris Cooley.

It's extremely possible that Bequette started this transition last season as a member of the practice squad because the limited space for practice players forces an increase in versatility. Sources say that Bequette has looked good in his drills- for whatever that's worth.