Why This Lightning Quick UDFA Can Turn Heads For Patriots
When the New England Patriots lost Khyiris Tonga in free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs, the attention at the defensive tackle turned to the NFL Draft. But seven rounds came and went and the defending AFC champs didn't select a single one.
So while the lack of drafting a possible difference maker in the middle of the defensive line could be questionable, the team eventually signed one in undrafted free agency. Miami's David Blay -- who was part of a stacked defensive line unit for the Hurricanes during their run to the national title game -- reportedly signed a deal with the Patriots, the only new defensive tackle that is now on the active roster after this weekend.
Right now, defensive tackle is a stacked part of the roster. Milton Williams and Christian Barmore are sitting on the positional throne, while Leonard Taylor III, Cory Durden, Joshua Farmer and Eric Gregory played roles las season.
For Blay, he has the talent to impress during training camp practices. But will he be able to nail down a spot on the Patriots' 53-man roster? These traits are some of the reasons why the quick lineman was signed, and will be part of the reason why he makes the team.
Gets Off Blocks Quick
For a nose tackle, he's got great bust. Blay got lost in the shuffle when it came to Miami's front seven, which included two first rounders in Reuben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, but he was equally as productive inside the guards.
The former Division II product at West Chester was fantastic in 2022 after a redshirt season. he had 39 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and five sacks before making the jump to the FBS level with Louisiana Tech. Blay continued to get better, especially when it came to his first step and instincts off the snap, as he was named First Team All-Conference USA as a redshirt junior.
He took more of a backseat in the pass rush department during his lone season with the Hurricanes, as the two first round edge guys cleaned up most of that work.
Run Stuffing Ability A Plus
The big thing that the Patriots are losing in Tonga is his ability to clog up running lanes and create havoc in the A and B gaps. For the players currently on the roster, they don't have that otherwordly skill in that department. Durden and Taylor III -- two players who impressed in their moments last year -- were primarily pass rush guys, and weren't called on to sniff out the run all season long.
Blay can become that guy for New England. Sure, it may take some time for him to bulk up to Tonga's size (335 pounds), but that's what the next few months are for. The Miami rookie was an All-ACC Honorable Mention and had nine starts as a redshirt senior in 2025. He missed a trio of games because of injury, and sometime struggles with double teams.
But a lot of what Blay can accomplish can be summed up by one major change this summer.
Smaller Frame Can Be Improved Upon
Blay needs to get bigger! That's the big thing that's surrounding him right now, and it's not wrong. The defensive tackle weighed in at 6-foot-2, 292 pounds (while Miami had him around 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds), and will certainly need to get back to over 300 pounds to fit what the Patriots are hoping out of their defensive tackles.
The Levittown, Pennsylvania, native doesn't need to move mountains to become a player on this roster. If Blay gets hot, and more importantly, gets bulkier, he could be a really solid UDFA find for New England this season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Why This Lightning Quick UDFA Can Turn Heads For Patriots.
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