Hawkins will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
The New England Patriots have already restructured their coaching staff for the second consecutive offseason. Now it is time for the real work with an expected overhaul of the roster coming.
Free agency will be a key part of this process. And while adding external players to the mix will undoubtably happen with over $130 million in projected cap space, there are also a few in-house free agents to be taken care of. Following a series of moves, 12 remain in need of a new contract prior to free agency.
Among them is safety Jaylinn Hawkins, the next player in our free agency profile series.
Hard facts
Name: Jaylinn Hawkins
Position: Safety/Special teamer
Opening day age: 28 (8/25/1997)
Size: 6-foot-1, 208 pounds
Jersey number: 21
Free agency status: Unrestricted free agent (UFA)
Experience
NFL teams: Atlanta Falcons (2020-2023), Los Angeles Chargers (2023), New England Patriots (2024)
A four-star recruit out of high school, Hawkins decided to stay in his home state for his college career and committed to Cal. He went on to spend five years with the Golden Bears, appearing in 49 games with 39 starts. In total, he registered 158 tackles, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a pair of sacks. A honorable All-Pac 12 mention his senior campaign, Hawkins entered the draft as a projected late-round pick or rookie free agent.
He didn’t remain on the board that long: the Falcons opted to invest the 134th overall selection in the fourth round to bring him in, quickly installing him as a core special teams presence and backup defender. His role evolved over the subsequent three years, to a point where he became a starting safety before being demoted to a rotational role again.
Following his in-season release from the Falcons in 2023, Hawkins joined the Chargers. Five months later, he was on the move again: the Patriots signed him to a one-year free agency deal, which allowed him to bring his career totals to 75 games with 32 starts, 4 interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries.
2024 review
Stats: 17 games (7 starts) | 612 defensive snaps (54.7%), 306 special teams snaps (70%) | 43 tackles, 7 missed tackles (14%), 3 TFLs | 17 targets, 13 catches allowed (76.5%), 136 yards, 2 TDs | 5 special teams tackles, 1 fumble recovery
Season recap: After he spent the 2023 season with both the Falcons and Chargers, Hawkins joined the Patriots via a one-year, $1.29 million free agency deal. He was brought in to complement New England’s existing safety group, potentially giving the unit more of a traditional free safety to work alongside box types Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers and Marte Mapu.
As such, he played a little over half of the team’s defensive snaps and finished the year ranked ninth on the team with a 54.7-percent playing time share; second among all safeties behind only Dugger’s 67.9. As was the case throughout the summer, Hawkins played a free safety role on a majority of his snaps (314; 51.3%). His overall playing time, however, fluctuated throughout the year.
Even though he was one of only three Patriots safeties to be made active for every game — joining depth options Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler — he never managed to become an every-down player or regular starter. As a result, he peaked at a full 100 percent (Week 5 vs. Miami) but also had one game (Week 15 at Arizona) where he saw no defensive snaps at all.
When on the field, though, Hawkins had some positive moments. While no Devin McCourty in deep centerfield, he was a steady presence and helped the Patriots’ otherwise uneven defense limit its losses in the deep passing game: in part due to his play, New England finished seventh in the NFL in pass plays of 20-plus yards given up and tied for ninth in 40-plus-yarders.
Hawkins’ most consistent impact, meanwhile, came in the kicking game. Playing on five units, his 70 percent playing time rate trailed only Brenden Schooler’s 86.5 and Marcellas Dial’s 83.3. He finished with five tackles in the game’s third phase, and recovered a fumble in Week 1 versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
Free agency preview
What is his contract history? Hawkins signed a standard four-year deal after getting drafted by the Falcons, and he did make it through the entirety of the contract. Even though he was released in October 2023, the Chargers claiming him off waivers meant that the pact remained active and he first hit free agency last offseason. Considering this, plus the deal the Patriots signed him to in March 2024, his total career earnings have been calculated at just under $5.3 million by Over The Cap.
Which teams might be in the running? Several teams would benefit from adding an experienced player such as Hawkins to both their secondaries and special teams operation. Those include the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — all of whom potential landing spots for Hawkins.
Why should he be expected back? Even though the Patriots have Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers and Marte Mapu under contract for 2025, they would benefit from having more depth at the position; all three of them missed time last season. Furthermore, Hawkins is the only established free safety who was with the team in 2024. In addition, his special teams contributions under coordinator Jeremy Springer, who was retained by new head coach Mike Vrabel, cannot be underestimated. In fact, his future might be hanging on Springer and his assessment.
Why should he be expected to leave? The Patriots hired a new defensive coaching staff this offseason, and it might decide to move on from fringe starters such as Hawkins in favor of either more familiar players or some with a higher ceiling. In addition, the team simply might not value his special teams role as highly as his 2024 playing time might suggest.
What is his projected free agency outcome? The Patriots have the money and the roster spots to keep Hawkins on another low-cost deal, and will do so to strengthen their safety depth and keep some stability on special teams.
What do you think about Jaylinn Hawkins heading into free agency? Will he be brought back? Or will the Patriots’ new staff decide to move on after one season? Please head down to the comment section to discuss.