Patriots sign Tarleton State cornerback Devin Hafford in hopes of striking undrafted rookie gold again

Add Devin Hafford to the list of rookie free agents signed by the New England Patriots since the end of the 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday. The Tarleton State cornerback broke the news that he signed a contract with the Patriots himself on Monday night, taking to social media to announce his pro football destination.

Hafford is the eight undrafted free agent reported to sign with the Patriots over the last few days.

A sixth-year senior, who appeared in 56 games during his career with the Texans, Hafford offers good size at 6-foot-0, 195 pounds and some good explosiveness. He ran a 1.52-second 10-yard split at his pro day, had 38-inch vertical jump and 10-foot, 5-inch broad jump, and registered 24 reps on the bench.

He put his athletic skills to good use at Tarleton State, especially during his super senior season in 2021. Hafford notched 50 tackles and eight turnovers during his final college campaign — six interceptions, two fumble recoveries — while also scoring one touchdown. He was later named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year, but received little pre-draft hype coming out of the FCS.

The Patriots will now give him a shot, and hope to strike undrafted rookie gold at the cornerback position again. New England, after all, has an impressive history at finding players at the position after the draft.

Current Patriots Jonathan Jones, Malcolm Butler and Myles Bryant, as well as former team members J.C. Jackson and Randall Gay all arrived in New England through rookie free agency.