The New England Patriots got solid production out of their rebuilt edge group in 2025, but they still entered this year’s offseason with the plan of upgrading. They hoped to achieve that goal by adding two high-profile players in veteran free agent Dre’Mont Jones and second-round draft choice Gabe Jacas.
They were not the only edges added to the mix, though. The Patriots also signed some potential depth options, including one who joined the team after a successful tryout during rookie minicamp.
Hard facts
Name:
Xavier Holmes
Position: Defensive edge/Outside linebacker
Jersey number: 58
Opening day age: 24 (4/16/2002)
Measurements: 6’2 1/4”, 252 lbs, 9 5/8” hand size, 32 3/4” arm length, 80” wingspan, 4.76s 40-yard dash, 7.34s 3-cone drill, 4.34s short shuttle, 29 1/2” vertical jump, 10’0” broad jump, 22 bench press reps, 4.96 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: New England Patriots (2026-) | College: Maine (2021-24), James Madison (2025)
Despite being a three-year captain and all-county selection at Clarksburg, MD, Holmes was rated a no-star recruit out of high school and received zero scholarship offers. He subsequently spent one year at Jireh Prep in Matthews, NC, before finding his way to the University of Maine in the summer of 2021.
He saw only limited action in his first two seasons with the Black Bears but picked up the pace in 2023 and 2024. As a result, he finished his career in Orono with 23 starts among 25 in-game appearances as well as 123 tackles, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, forced recoveries, and an interception.
The second-team All-CAA selection opted to transfer to James Madison ahead of the 2025 season, adding 14 more games and six extra sacks to his college totals. After his senior campaign came to an end, he did not hear his name called in the NFL Draft but joined the Patriots as a rookie free agency signing two weeks later.
Scouting report
Strengths: Holmes stands out on tape because he plays with a hot motor and the effort coaches want to see. This allows him to stay alive even when initially stymied and makes him a productive pursuit player from the backside; he generally has a good feel for locating the football. He also brings a filled-out frame and decent length to the NFL, and plays with some good power. While not a true speed rusher, his lateral quickness allows him to be a factor on stunts. He additionally plays with active hands and knows how to time his rushes and, if unable to get home, his jumps.
Weaknesses: Holmes is neither the most awe-inspiring athlete nor a refined technician at this stage in his career; his wins oftentimes come courtesy of his effort rather than him doing the little things right. His hands, for example, are active but can be all over the place. He is not particularly bendy when running the arc around the offensive tackle and lacks the burst out of his stance to overwhelm blockers with speed; he also does not set the stoutest edge in the run game. His finish has been up and down, and at the age of 24 there are questions about his developmental upside.
2025 review
Stats: 14 games (0 starts) | 430 defensive snaps, 49 special teams snaps | 30 tackles, 5 missed tackles (14.3%), 7.5 TFLs, 1 FR | 37 QB pressures (6 sacks, 5 hits, 24 hurries) | 5 targets, 3 catches surrendered (60.0%), 43 yards, 1 INT, 4 PBUs | 1 blocked punt | 0 penalties
Season recap: Even though he had begun hitting his stride over his final two seasons at Maine, Holmes decided to spend his final year of college eligibility elsewhere. He entered the transfer portal as a three-star recruit and was able to make the jump from the FCS to the FBS: in late December 2024, he committed to James Madison.
His lone season with the Dukes was a successful one for Holmes. Despite not starting any games and ranking only 12th on the team in defensive snaps, he was his team’s most productive pass rusher in terms of total disruptions. While he did benefit from playing opposite the Sun Belt Conference’s Freshman of the Year, Sahir West, he still managed to take advantage of his opportunities en route to a six-sack, 37-pressure outing.
In fact, those 37 pressures ranked him second in the conference. They were not his only big plays, as he also caught an interception while dropping out of his rush against Texas State and blocked a punt in the season opener versus Weber State.
Holmes’ best performance of the season might have come in the Sun Belt Championship Game against Troy, though. The senior pass rush specialist registered a season-best six pressures that day, including a career-high 2.5 sacks. With him and West (who had three sacks) dominating up front, JMU won its first ever SBC title and first conference championship since leaving the CAA in 2022.
The momentum from that win was not sustained the following week in the school’s College Football Playoff debut against Oregon, and Holmes registered zero pressures on 17 rushes. All in all, however, his college career found a positive end.
2026 preview
Position: Outside linebacker/Situational pass rusher | Ability: Camp body/Practice squad candidate | Contract: Signed through 2028 (2029 RFA)
What will be his role? Holmes was an outside linebacker at Maine and James Madison, and he will remain one in New England. That much we know. What we do not yet know is how the Patriots plan to use him. Based on his college career and skillset, he projects as a situational pass rusher to complement starters Harold Landry and Dre’Mont Jones.
What is his growth potential? As mentioned above, Holmes is an older prospect and seemingly closer to his developmental peak than other rookie players. He does have the effort to overcome some of his limitations, but they ultimately might cap his ceiling at the rotational player level who is best suited to line up against the pass.
Does he have positional versatility? Holmes’ versatility is limited both from a usage and a positional perspective. He has proven himself a more effective pass rusher than run defender, which in turn might limit how he is used in the NFL as well. He furthermore is a pure outside-the-tackles edge who has played just a handful of snaps in a different alignment such as inside or off the ball. He has, however, seen action on special teams throughout his college career, especially as a pressure player on punts and field goals/extra points.
What is his salary cap situation? The Patriots signed Holmes to a standard three-year contract after his successfully rookie minicamp workout. That pact consists entirely of a non-guaranteed base salary, which in 2026 comes at a cost of $885,000. With that number not high enough to qualify for Top 51 status and no guarantees elsewhere in the deal, he currently has no impact on New England’s cap and will only do so if he finds himself on the roster or practice squad during the season.
How safe is his roster spot? Holmes received praise from outside linebackers coach Mike Smith last month, but that alone will not help him make the team. As is, after all, he finds himself much closer to the bottom of the roster than the 53-man cut-off line. And with the likes of Harold Landry, Dre’Mont Jones, Gabe Jacas, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson, Jesse Luketa and Quintayvious Hutchins seemingly all ahead of him on the depth chart at the moment, one has to wonder just how quickly he can upgrade his status.
Summary: The Patriots will gave Holmes his opportunities this summer, but unless he follows the footsteps of fellow former UDFA Elijah Ponder and impresses in training camp and preseason will have a hard time making the team. It’s a number’s game, at the end of the day, and the numbers work against him right now. As a result, he should be aiming for the practice squad, which would look like a much more realistic landing spot.
What do you think about Xavier Holmes heading into the 2026 season? Will he make the team? Or is the practice squad his destination? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
