With the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, the top of the New England Patriots’ wide receiver group will be looking quite different in 2026. How about the depth spots, though? They also might be subject to some turnover given that the team signed four rookie free agents after the draft.
They all will have a similar goal in mind: competing for a roster or practice squad spot. To do so, they would have to unseat last season’s No. 7 wideout, Jeremiah Webb. Let’s find out what the chances of that happening look like by taking a deep dive into the sophomore receiver’s outlook for the upcoming training camp and season.
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Hard facts
Name: Jeremiah Webb
Position: Wide receiver
Jersey number: 29 (w)
Opening day age: 25 (5/17/2001)
Measurements: 5’11 1/2”, 198 lbs, 30 1/8” arm length, 9” hand size, 73 5/8” wingspan, 4.49s 40-yard dash, N/A Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: New England Patriots (2025-) | College: South Dakota (2019-21), South Alabama (2022-24)
A two-way player at Urban Prep-Bronzeville in Chicago, Webb originally committed to New Mexico as a two-star recruit. He later decommitted and joined the University of South Dakota in 2019. He redshirted as a true freshman and also did not play the following season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, thus ending his career as a Coyote with just 13 catches for 254 yards and a touchdown in 11 games.
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In 2022, Webb entered the transfer portal and took his talents to South Alabama. He had a quiet first two seasons in Mobile before a breakout campaign of sorts in 2024. In total, Webb caught 38 passes for 701 yards and six touchdowns in 23 games with the Jaguars.
His relatively modest production, however, meant that the NFL appeared out of reach. And so, after his college career, Webb joined the Berlin Thunder of the European League of Football. It did not take long for him to return to the United States: just a month after Berlin signed him, he was brought aboard by the Patriots as an undrafted rookie free agent.
Webb spent his entire rookie campaign in New England, but did not appear in any games.
Scouting report
Strengths: The 6-foot-0, 198-pound Webb offers adequate size to compete against NFL-caliber defensive backs. He is a good contested catch receiver, who can generate separation late and combines concentration with hand-eye coordination and a fairly reliable set of mitts. This allows him to haul in back-shoulder and out-of-frame passes, becoming an inaccuracy eraser of sorts. He also has solid long speed as well as adequate acceleration, and has shown some wiggle after the catch and as a return man. He also is a willing blocker in the run game.
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Weaknesses: Webb lacks any true standout traits that will help him find consistent success against pro-level competition or set him apart from other wide receivers. He has average size and length, and despite some good long speed is not the most elusive mover in the open field. His route tree and alignment versatility both remain a work in progress as well, and despite his willingness he is not the most powerful blocker on run or screen plays.
2025 review
Stats: N/A
Season recap: Neither projected as a draftable player nor a priority free agent coming out of college, Webb decided to join the Berlin Thunder of the European League of Football before the 2025 draft. However, after only a month in Germany, the Patriots came knocking: in early April, they decided to take a shot at the wide receiver, who had indeed gone unselected in the draft.
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Webb spent all of the offseason, training camp and preseason on the Patriots’ roster and along the way showed some flashes. Used as a depth wide receiver as well as a punt and kickoff returner, he played 75 offensive snaps and nine more on special teams during the exhibition schedule.
Along the way, Webb touched the ball 10 times and registered a team-leading 196 all-purpose yards as well as a touchdown. And while the performance was not enough to truly elevate him to the roster conversation — much of his output came in the preseason finale against the Giants — it did make the Patriots bring him back via the practice squad after he was waived on cutdown day.
Webb spent the entirety of his rookie season on New England’s developmental roster but was elevated to the game day team for the wild card playoff game against the Chargers. However, with Kayshon Boutte cleared in time for that contest and no extra depth necessary, the youngster was made a healthy scratch.
It was the closest he would come to actually seeing in-season action in 2025. But even though he ultimately did not, Webb can feel quite good about his rookie season: he had to take a detour to Germany before getting his NFL shot, and once there did enough to earn a spot on the AFC champions’ pay roll as well as a futures contract.
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2026 preview
Position: Z/F-receiver | Ability: Camp body/Practice squad candidate | Contract: Signed through 2026 (2029 ERFA)
What will be his role? Webb mostly was used as an outside receiver both in college and during his first preseason in the NFL, but he could play more of a flexible role during his sophomore season. At the moment, he projects as a hybrid Z/F-receiver who has the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands and to win contested catches down the sideline. Regardless of his alignment, he is expected to serve in a backup capacity.
What is his growth potential? Webb had had some promising stretches of play during the 2025 preseason and some attributes to build upon, but his ceiling as a whole appears to be somewhat limited. That said, if he can build on his foundation and add to his repertoire, he might be able to become a package receiver and return option further down the line.
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Does he have positional versatility? Versatility may not be a defining trait for Webb, but he does offer some positional flexibility on offense and special teams. As a receiver, he aligned mostly outside the formation in college and New England, but also can move into the slot. In addition, he ran back two kickoffs and punts each during his first preseason as a pro.
What is his salary cap situation? After the end of the 2025 season, Webb was retained by the Patriots through a futures contract. That deal comes with a non-guaranteed $885,000 base salary that simultaneously functions as his cap hit as well. The number is not high enough to qualify for Top 51 status, meaning that Webb currently takes up none of New England’s cap space — at least via this deal: he still counts $1,334 against the cap from the dead money charge resulting from his release last August.
How safe is his roster spot? The Patriots made some significant investments in their wide receiver group this offseason, and it has put Webb in a difficult position. Effectively finishing 2025 as the team’s seventh wideout, he is now facing some increased competition for that spot and indeed a role on the team or practice squad. His experience should give him a leg up on some of the competition — i.e. UDFAs Jimmy Kibble, Nick DeGennaro, Kyle Dixon and Cameron Dorner — but his relatively moderate ceiling and the fact that at least seven receivers are currently ahead of him on the depth chart makes for a challenging environment.
Summary: Considering the current composition of the Patriots’ roster, Webb making the 53-man team out of training camp would be a surprise. The practice squad therefore seems like a more realistic destination, but he still would have to outperform those four undrafted rookies mentioned above to make it there. That is not a given despite his solid preseason play in 2025.
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What do you think about Jeremiah Webb heading into the 2026 season? Will he push for a roster spot? Or is he again destined for the practice squad, if that? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
