The New England Patriots’ offensive backfield is in the middle of a youth movement. After adding three rookie players last offseason, the team brought two more aboard this year. One of them is Myles Montgomery, who joined the club as a rookie free agent shortly after the draft.
His signing was a notable one: he broke the Patriots’ record for total guarantees given to a UDFA. Despite the investment, however, he will have to earn his spot on the roster this summer.
Hard facts
Name: Myles Montgomery
Position: Running
back
Jersey number: 39 (w)
Opening day age: 23 (4/4/2003)
Measurements: 5’9 7/8”, 205 lbs, 9” hand size, 30 1/2” arm length, 73 1/8” wingspan, 4.44s 40-yard dash, 7.41s 3-cone drill, 4.25s short shuttle, 37” vertical jump, 10’4” broad jump, 22 bench press reps, 8.90 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: New England Patriots (2026-) | College: Cincinnati (2021-23), UCF (2024-25)
A well-regarded running back prospect out of Duncan U. Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach, FL, Montgomery decided to start his college career at Cincinnati over offers from other schools such as Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland. The three-star recruit spent his first three seasons with the Bearcats, gradually upping his workload after redshirting as a true freshman. In total, he appeared in 20 games for the school, carrying the ball 80 times for 548 yards and four touchdowns.
Despite most of the production coming in his third year, Montgomery opted to enter the transfer portal in December 2023. Just two weeks later, he committed to Central Florida to close out his college career in his home state.
Montgomery saw action in 21 games as a Knight with 10 starts, registering 194 rushing attempts for 998 yards and seven scores. He additionally caught 20 passes — up from six at Cincinnati — for an extra 248 yards and one more score. Coming off his best collegiate season, he entered the 2026 NFL Draft but did not hear his name called until the Patriots picked him up as an unselected free agent.
Scouting report
Strengths: Montgomery is built close to the ground and knows how to squeeze through holes to get to the second level. Once there, he is a dangerous player due to his 4.44-second long speed. In general, he can make plays with the ball in his hands in open space. He has the burst to leave defenders in his dust but also plays with the contact balance and strength to break tackle attempts; he averaged 3.8 yards after contact in college. While mostly a ball-carrier at Cincinnati and UCF, he has shown the hands and spatial awareness to also contribute in the passing game and potentially also has some untapped potential as a kick returner.
Weaknesses: At under 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, Montgomery is on the smaller side and might have a harder time shaking off NFL-caliber defenders. That might particularly be true in pass protection, where he already showed some inconsistency in college and will need a step up in performance to be trusted in such a role at the next level. He also is a fairly linear athlete, whose quickness testing before the draft was bad: his 7.1-second three-cone drill ranks in the 6th percentile among running back prospects since 1999.
2025 review
Stats: 11 games (10 starts) | 446 offensive snaps, 1 special teams snap | 143 carries, 705 yards (4.9/carry), 4 TDs | 23 targets, 17 catches (73.9%), 182 yards (10.7/catch), 1 drop | 7 QB pressures surrendered (2 sacks, 1 hit, 4 hurries) | 0 penalties
Season recap: Montgomery had a solid first year after transferring from Cincinnati to Central Florida, but he still only played a depth role in the Knights’ backfield. That all changed in 2025, and under a new staff led by head coach Scott Frost and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper. The fifth-year senior took over as the main man at running back, earning his first 10 career starts and setting multiple career highs as a runner and a receiver.
Among his accomplishments were back-to-back 100-yard games against Kansas State and Kansas. He carried the ball 10 times for a career-best 119 yards in the first game, followed by a true workhorse performance — 22 carries,
110 yards, 2 TDs — in the second.
Overall, Montgomery finished his final collegiate campaign with 705 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 143 carries as well as 182 receiving yards on 17 catches. All of those numbers set new career marks, while he finished first on his team in touches (160) and scrimmage yards (887). In addition to his statistics, he also was named a captain for the first time.
Even though the Knights themselves had a rather underwhelming season, going just 5-7, Montgomery therefore closed that particular chapter of his career in a positive fashion.
2026 preview
Position: All-purpose running back | Ability: Camp body/Practice squad candidate | Contract: Signed through 2028 (2029 RFA)
What will be his role? Montgomery is not going to challenge top running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson this season, but he does have a complementary skillset as a runner and receiver. Accordingly, the rookie will have an opportunity to compete for the RB3 job as a possible change-of-pace and kicking game option at the position.
What is his growth potential? Montgomery has some physical limitations, and his ability to overcome those will be crucial if he wants to earn a consistent job in the NFL. What he also has is some talent to build on. While there are some questions about his ability to become a three-down back or true No. 1, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he finds his niche and becomes a valuable depth piece for multiple seasons.
Does he have positional versatility? Both Cincinnati and UCF primarily saw him as a runner rather than a versatile chess piece, but that does not mean he cannot expand his role at the next level. One area in particular is noteworthy in that regard: special teams. Given the NFL’s kickoff rules and his skillset, Montgomery might be able to factor into the kickoff returner mix in New England. He also has some kickoff coverage snaps on his résumé.
What is his salary cap situation? As noted above, Montgomery signed a sizable contract with the Patriots compared to other undrafted free agents. In the grand scheme of things, however, his actual cap impact is marginal. His $893,333 cap hit is not high enough to qualify for Top 51 status at the moment, meaning that only his $8,333 signing bonus proration currently counts against New England’s books. The other $885,000 consist entirely of his non-guaranteed base salary.
How safe is his roster spot? While he is joining an open competition for the third spot on the running back depth chart behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, Montgomery’s roster spot is anything but secure. He probably will need to beat out at least two if not all three of Lan Larison, Terrell Jennings and Jam Miller to make it onto the team, and simultaneously also show that he can be more than “only” a running back.
Summary: Montgomery found himself near the bottom of the running back pecking order during open spring practices, but should get a more extensive look in training camp. However, he will need to capitalize on every opportunity in order to climb up the ladder and eventually land on the 53-man team. From our current perspective, the practice squad looks like a more realistic destination.
What do you think about Myles Montgomery heading into the 2026 season? Will he prove the Patriots right? Will he end up on the roster or practice squad? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
