Pats Pulpit
Previewing the Patriots linebacker heading into his first NFL season.
The New England Patriots’ linebacker group had its fair share of difficulty to deal with in 2024. As a consequence, it is going to look quite a bit different in 2025 from the top all the way to the bottom of the depth chart. Finding himself closer to that second area is undrafted rookie Cam Riley.
Name: Cam Riley
Position: Off-ball linebacker
Jersey number: 42
Opening day age: 23 (3/29/2002)
Measurements: 6’3 1/2”, 228 lbs, 79 3/4” wingspan, 33 3/8” arm length, 9” hand size, 4.64s 40-yard dash, 7.18s 3-cone drill, 4.45s short shuttle, 32” vertical jump, 10’1” broad jump, 19 bench press reps, 7.41 Relative Athletic Score
NFL: New England Patriots (2025-) | College: Auburn (2020-23), Florida State (2024)
A four-star linebacker recruit out of Hillcrest High School in Evergreen, AL, Riley received more than a dozen scholarship offers from Power 5 schools. He eventually opted to remain in his home state and picked Auburn — two hours north-east of his hometown — over the likes of LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee, among others.
Riley spent four seasons with the Tigers, one of them as a starter. In total, he appeared in 46 games with 10 starts before deciding to enter the transfer portal in 2024. He subsequently took his talents to Florida State, where he finished his college career by adding 12 more games and one start to his career totals.
All in all, Riley registered a combined 168 tackles, including 12 for loss, as well as 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble between his stints at Auburn and Florida State. He went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft, joining the Patriots as a free agent.
Strengths: Checking in at almost 6-foot-4 with long arms, Riley offers good length at the off-ball linebacker position. He also has above-average straight-line speed and burst out of his stance. His build and athleticism are complemented by a solid feel for run lanes, both in terms of his gap vision and reactionary skills. He also has shown urgency in the passing game, as well as a baseline understanding of using length and leverage to his advantage to both break up passes and put pressure on opposing blockers. He was a generally sound tackler in college as well, despite a bit of a drop-off in 2024.
Weaknesses: Riley is more of a linear athlete than somebody capable of performing sharp cuts or following quicker players in coverage. His feel for zone coverage also needs development. As a downhill attacker, his lack of overall bulk and play strength can lead to him getting swallowed up at the point of attack or washed out of the picture entirely. Meanwhile, his recovery speed in situations like these — mainly due to his relative lack of agility — is adequate at best despite a general high motor.
Stats: 12 games (1 start) | 327 defensive snaps, 98...
