However, after 19 years of having at least one undrafted free agent make the 53-man roster, that streak ended in 2023 — the final year of the Belichick era. Finding quality players from the undrafted free agent ranks in back-to-back years is a small win for a Patriots franchise that badly needed some of those after some truly awful roster management by Belichick. Khalil Jacobs could become the Patriots' latest UDFA success storyLet's just say the Patriots have a long history of turning unwanted, overlooked prospects into valuable assets. On one hand, the fact Jacobs has turned some heads could be viewed optimistically. So, maybe the answer will come in the form of an undrafted free agent who's trying to become the latest success story in Foxboro.