There was a lot of pressure on the Patriots’ front office to have a beyond successful 2025 NFL Draft after the near disaster from the previous year, making it undesirable for new head coach Mike Vrabel to walk into. Armed with a top-five first-rounder and plenty of other picks to boost the team, it fortunately wasn’t as tall of a task as it appeared to be, as the new regime nailed every vulnerable position with a quality rookie player.
And it didn’t stop there. Immediately after the draft concluded, the Patriots assembled a standout UDFA class, which they held the Mr. Irrelevant pick. Several names stood out as the announcements came rolling in, with running back Lan Larison making the most headlines for signing a fully guaranteed contract with New England.
Although his incredible career at UC Davis likely explained the hype surrounding his potential NFL tenure, many questions surrounded the Patriots’ decision to give Larison such a lucrative contract.
Plenty of speculation suggested what that reason might be, with some analysts and fans already declaring he will make the 53-man roster this season. But we now know why his contract was so substantial, making Vrabel and Co.’s decision much more understandable and (hopefully) worth it.
Patriots had a lot of competition when trying to sign UDFA Lan Larison
In his weekly article surrounding all things Patriots news and rumors, ESPN’s Mike Reiss revealed exactly why Larison received a guaranteed $175,000 contract, and it was because a list of other teams were trying to sign him, too.
“Of the 17 undrafted free agents the Patriots agreed to contracts with, UC Davis running back Lan Larison has one of the richest deals as he received $175,000 in guaranteed money.
That reflects how the Patriots likely had competition from other teams to land Larison, a dual threat who finished his college career with 641 carries for 3,634 yards and 41 touchdowns, and 127 receptions for 1,626 yards and 10 TDs.”
Considering the hype surrounding Larison before even stepping on an NFL field, the Patriots look like the biggest winners of the UDFA scramble, and that will inevitably mean that Larison will deal with a lot of pressure to perform this summer.
He could easily round out the running back room led by Antonio Gibson, rookie TreVeyon Henderson, and Rhamondre Stevenson. Larison would provide another explosive option for the offense to work with, as he showed throughout his college career. That will have to be the case, given how much money the Patriots put on the table to acquire him, and they likely won’t feel safe putting him on the practice squad.
Because teams can swoop in and claim practice-squad players, the Patriots won’t have that option with Larison, with so many other teams pursuing him after the draft concluded. It certainly means he has a lot to live up to this summer, yet it could also provide some comfort in knowing he’s almost guaranteed a roster spot because of the fear Vrabel and Co. will have of seeing him signed by another team.
Regardless, Larison would be best to impress throughout training camp and the preseason to shut down any doubt surrounding his fit on the roster. Based on his college resume, he looks more than capable of doing so, and he could potentially oust a veteran teammate if he lives up to the expectations already placed upon him.
It won’t be easy, but the Patriots could be even bigger winners of the offseason if Larison can do it.