Since more than three hours, the New England Patriots are under the 53-man roster limit. And while the team has yet to officially announce its initial squad, a few names have been reported to have survived roster cuts – among them an undrafted offensive lineman:
Shout out to our nephew @Cole_Croston making the Patriots official 53 man roster! pic.twitter.com/toOsodbylw
— Liz Croston (@lcroston) September 2, 2017
Great story: Undrafted ex-Hawkeye OL Cole Croston has made the New England Patriots' 53-man roster.
— Chad Leistikow (@ChadLeistikow) September 2, 2017
At Iowa (under Bill Belichick confidante Kirk Ferentz), Cole Croston lined up at both tackle spots and also was a regular in the kicking game. However, despite his versatility and leadership skills, he went unselected during the 2017 NFL draft – mostly because of a senior season that was marked by a foot injury.
Shortly after the draft, the Patriots brought Croston aboard as a free agent. The 23-year old made the most out of his opportunity and ultimately saw more preseason playing time than any other player on the team: Croston was on the field for 223 snaps. His work paid off as he will become the third undrafted rookie on New England's initial 53-man roster.