Meet the Newest New England Patriot: Mitchell Wilcox

Wilcox appeared in all 17 Bengals games last season, though his offensive snaps were cut significantly to 230. He finished with nine receptions for 56 yards on the season.

Over his three seasons on the active roster, Wilcox played in 48 games. He recorded 29 receptions for 211 yards and a touchdown. His primary contributions have come as a blocking tight end and on special teams. He played 69% of Cincinnati’s special teams plays in 2023.

Pro Football Focus graded Mitchell Wilcox as less than 60.0 (the lowest score for a roster-caliber player) in all three seasons. His receiving and run-blocking grades are both poor. However, pass blocking seems to be where Wilcox shines most. He received a 74.0 there in 2023.

Patriots Tight Ends

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Wilcox joins a tight end group in New England featuring Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and La’Michael Pettway. Henry returns as the primary tight end, in addition to being a team captain. Hooper was signed in free agency to replace Mike Gesicki as a receiving option at the position. Pettway was signed to the practice squad last season and has yet to make his NFL debut.

Mitchell Wilcox gives the New England Patriots a replacement for Pharaoh Brown, who signed with Seattle in free agency. He is a block-first tight end who won’t be counted on to contribute much as a receiver. He allows New England to avoid being desperate for a tight end in the upcoming draft or expecting too much from Pettway. That said, the addition of Wilcox would not stop the Patriots from adding to the position if there is value on the board. A prototypical low-risk, depth signing to bolster the overall roster.