Patriots find undrafted gem in RB D.J. Foster

The New England Patriots know how to develop unheralded talent, and former Arizona State running back D.J. Foster might be next in line as a UDFA gem…

When you talk about maximizing the talent of unheralded NFL prospects, the New England Patriots have to be at the top of the list. Tom Brady was a sixth round selection, Julian Edelman was a 7th round pick, and in fact, there’s just one player (LT Nate Solder) listed as a projected starter in the Patriots’ offense that was a former first round pick.

That bodes well for former Arizona State star running back and wide receiver D.J. Foster, an undrafted player who could become the next undrafted gem on the Patriots.

Foster, who played running back up to the end of the 2014 season, is an intriguing prospect that can do a little bit of everything. He played wide receiver as a senior, and actually wound up with fewer touches (59 catches, 55 carries) than he’s had in any season of his college career.

That could have been expected in a way, since he was no longer playing running back, but the Patriots seem to be trying him out as a back, not a receiver.

But that doesn’t mean he won’t be used as a receiver out of the backfield…

Perhaps the thing the Patriots do best with running backs is maximize their abilities in every facet of the game. We could go down a long list of players who are capable dual threat backs, most recently Dion Lewis, who ended last season on injured reserve.

Foster has some similar qualities and traits there, but he’s really his own player. He ran a 4.46 second 40-yard dash at his ASU pro day, and posted a 36-inch vertical jump. He was among the top performers at his position at the Scouting Combine with a 6.75 second three-cone drill, measuring his short-area quickness.

There’s no question that Foster has the versatility to line up at receiver and perhaps play in the slot, but his pass catching abilities are definitely better served out of the backfield, where he is able to make plays after the catch rather than run a ton of different routes.

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There was one scouting report I read on Foster that said he was the type of player who had to have ‘manufactured touches’ within in an offense, which I thought was an interesting but accurate description. The Patriots have done a great job with that kind of player over the years, and this guy certainly has plenty of talent.

Watching him in 2013 and 2014, it was clear that his trajectory was that of an NFL running back, and the switch to receiver as a senior might have driven him down boards. The Patriots definitely are a great team for Foster to be on in terms of getting the best opportunity to maximize his skill set as a dual-threat back.

I think they may have a nice UDFA gem on their hands here.