The Patriots on Thursday signed wide receiver Jalen Reagor to their 53-man roster.
Reagor, a 2020 first-round draft pick out of TCU, joined the practice squad at the end of August. The Patriots temporarily elevated him to the active roster three times this season, reaching the limit permitted by the league. In order for Reagor to be available on game days moving forward, he had to sign an NFL contract.
The Patriots now have a glut of wide receivers on their 53-man roster, with Reagor joining JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, Tyquan Thornton, and Kayshon Boutte. It would be unusual if they continue to carry seven moving forward.
Of the three games he was active this year, Reagor had his biggest impact last week against the Bills. He caught his first pass from quarterback Mac Jones for an 11-yard gain and out-snapped Thornton. He also cut into the playing time of Parker, who logged a season-low 58 percent of the offense’s snaps.
Jones said he’s been familiar with Reagor since college and called working with him “great.”
“He’s a very fast football player,” Jones said Wednesday. “He does a great job learning the playbook quickly, and one of the other things is, in practice, just how impressive he is in getting open, finishing and catching the ball. So, I really have a lot of respect for him and how he works. Hopefully, he can continue to grow.”
Coach Bill Belichick, too, has praised Reagor for his development over the past two months. He specifically highlighted his contributions as a scout team player, mimicking the elite wide receivers the Patriots have had to face this season.
“He’s gotten a lot of good opportunities with some of the routes that those guys run to kind of be featured a little bit on some of the scout team plays,” Belichick said. “He’s earned some playing time, which has come from his practice time and practice performance. He’s picking up the offense. We’ll see how it goes. He’s got good talent, good guy to work with. Glad we have him.”
Reagor started his career with the Eagles, who selected him with the 21st overall pick in 2020. His rookie year was his best statistical season: 31 catches on 54 targets for 396 yards and a touchdown. He also spent four weeks on injured reserve with a torn ligament in his thumb that year.
Reagor appeared in all 17 games his second season but didn’t live up to his first-round billing, serving primarily as a return specialist and earning limited playing time. The Eagles ended up trading him to the Vikings in August 2022 in exchange for a 2023 seventh-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-rounder.
In Minnesota, Reagor also maintained a limited role within the passing attack. He appeared in all 17 games but was on the field for just 7 percent of the offense’s snaps. He caught eight passes on 13 targets for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Now, with the Patriots, it seems Reagor will have another fresh start.
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com. Follow her on X @nicolecyang.