The New England Patriots opted to fine-tune their roster before the start of training camp, and among the players they brought aboard was an undrafted rookie linebacker signing his first ever NFL contract: Riley Wilson.
Wilson arrives in Foxborough after already having come close to signing a deal with the Buccaneers earlier in the offseason, but a hip injury forced him to fail his medical and to negate the pact. Three months later, he has finally found a pro-level home, although it remains to be seen how long he will actually stay on the Patriots’ roster.
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Hard facts
Name: Riley Wilson
Position: Outside linebacker
Jersey number: 51 (b)
Opening day age: 24 (5/30/2002)
Measurements: 6’1 3/8”, 226 lbs, 10” hand size, 30 1/2” arm length, 73 1/2” wingspan, 4.57s 40-yard dash, 7.07s 33-cone drill, 4.46s short shuttle, 33 1/2” vertical jump, 10’0” broad jump, 18 bench press reps, 6.83 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: New England Patriots (2026-) | College: Hawaii (2021-22), Montana (2023-24), Arizona (2025)
Wilson, whose father Buddy played college football at Ohio State in the early 80s, was a wide receiver and linebacker during his high school career at Prestonwood Christian in Plano, TX. Eventually rated as a three-star recruit, he committed to Hawaii over offers from Indiana and Louisiana Tech. In three seasons as a Rainbow Warrior, he appeared in 16 games with one start; he transferred to Montana in January 2023.
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Wilson spent two seasons in Missoula, playing 23 games with 13 starts. Despite his uptick in opportunities and one-time recognition on the second All-Big Sky team, he entered the transfer portal again before his final year of college eligibility. This time, he took his talents to Arizona, where he added 11 more games as well as four starts to his résumé.
After the conclusion of his college career, Wilson went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft and remained unsigned for three months as a free agent. As noted above, he joined the Patriots shortly before their training camp.
Scouting report
Strengths: Wilson’s game is all about speed and versatility. He ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash during the Arizona pro day, which would have been the eighth-fastest time among all the Combine linebackers this year and historically puts him in the 92nd percentile among players at his position. He uses his speed well in drop-back coverage, run pursuit, and when rushing from the edge; in general, he has proven himself a flexible player capable of carrying out multiple assignments. He is able to do that because he combines a good awareness and reactionary skills with a solid technical foundation as both a pass rusher, run defender and special teamer.
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Weaknesses: He has the speed, but Wilson’s overall athletic skillset is nothing to write home about. At 6-foot-1, 226 pounds his frame is average. Once engaged by bigger offensive linemen, he has a tough time freeing himself due to his lack of power, length, and counters. He plays with active hands but needs a clearer plan as a pass rusher. He also is not the most agile player, and more of a linear athlete than one capable of winning with quickness. His tested speed also does not consistently show up on tape either, particularly in his run fits.
2025 review
Stats: 11 games (4 starts) | 428 defensive snaps, 74 special teams snaps | 51 tackles, 6 missed tackles (11.8%), 8 TFLs | 16 QB pressures (3 sacks, 5 hits, 8 hurries) | 3 targets, 2 catches surrendered (66.7%), 30 yards, 2 INTs, 4 PBUs | 1 special teams tackle | 0 penalties
Season recap: Wilson had the most productive season of his college career in 2024, and he used it as a springboard for a jump to the FBS. Entering the transfer portal a second time in December, it took him just two weeks before he found a new school as a three-star prospect: he committed to Arizona, but because of an injury suffered in fall camp had to miss two out of his first three games.
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After returning to the full lineup against Iowa State, he established himself as one of the Wildcats’ most-used defenders as well as a part-time special teamer. While he only started four of the 11 games he appeared in on the year, he nonetheless finished 11th on the team in defensive playing time share and made an impact from his outside linebacker position: his 16 total quarterback pressures ranked second on the team, as did his trio of sacks.
His most productive game in that regard came against 18th-ranked BYU in mid-October. Starting his first game since transferring to Arizona, he registered five disruptions, including a sack..
All in all, Wilson’s 2025 campaign was not the breakout he might have hoped for after his transfer. However, he did adapt reasonably well to the uptick in competition and continued building on the formation laid at Montana.
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2026 preview
Position: Weak-side linebacker | Ability: Camp body/Practice squad candidate | Contract: Signed through 2028 (2029 RFA)
What will be his role? Wilson was used as both an edge and an off-ball linebacker during his last three combined seasons at Montana and Arizona, and the expectation is that New England will use him in a similar fashion. That said, after mostly serving a rotational and package role in college, more of the same will be in the cards for him as a pro.
What is his growth potential? Although he has some traits worth building on, Wilson’s lack of any standout athletic traits outside of his straight-line speed might limit his ceiling in the NFL. Unless he overcomes his limitations, his best-case outcome likely would be a backup move linebacker and four-unit special teamer.
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Does he have positional versatility? While not offering the same size or athleticism as them, Wilson is similar to former Patriots linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Jahlani Tavai in that he can move between an off-ball alignment and the defensive edge without much hesitation. In addition, he brings five-unit special teams experience to the NFL, even though he was mainly employed on kickoff coverage and punt return in 2025.
What is his salary cap situation? Wilson signed a standard three-year undrafted rookie deal with the Patriots that comes with a $885,000 base salary in 2026. That number is simultaneously his cap hit, and with no guarantees embedded keeps him from the Top 51 list. This means he currently has no impact on New England’s salary cap.
How safe is his roster spot? Any player arriving this late is a long-shot to make the roster, and Wilson is no exception. That said, the Patriots’ linebacker depth behind starters Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss is not set in stone and some quick development on defense and in the kicking game could help him at least make the practice squad.
Summary: Wilson making the 53-man roster would be a major surprise at this point in time, and even the fight for the practice squad will be a tough one. The key lies in his versatility and the ability to perform on special teams whenever called upon.
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What do you think about Riley Wilson heading into the 2026 season? Will he find a way out of the depths of the roster? Or will he remain merely a camp body? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
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