When Jakob Johnson left the New England Patriots as a free agent in March 2022, so did the fullback position as a whole. Over the next three seasons, the team operated without a traditional lead blocker on its roster.

That changed in 2025. Following the return of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, under whom Johnson himself developed from International Pathway Program participant to NFL-level role player, the position again became a point of emphasis for the team. The question, however, was how to fill it?

Initially, Brock Lampe seemed to be the guy. However, when the undrafted rookie suffered a season-ending foot injury, the Patriots needed to adapt.

They did so by converting tight end Jack Westover.

Primarily a receiving tight end during his six-year college career at the Universi

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