FOXBORO — Jaylinn Hawkins wasn’t penciled into any first-team depth charts when Mike Vrabel arrived as Patriots head coach in January.
However Hawkins has skilled a breakout season in Yr 2 with the Patriots thanks to an entire buy-in to Vrabel’s program.
“Simply believing in Coach (Vrabel),” Hawkins informed the Herald. “Seeing how he approaches the day-to-day, how he’s with us. Respect, I see authenticity inside him.”
Hawkins, 28, has set a career-high with 4 interceptions this season, enjoying a flexible function at security subsequent to rookie and fellow Cal product Craig Woodson. His 83.3 PFF grade can be a profession excessive; he ranks first amongst Patriots defenders and fifth amongst certified NFL safeties with that mark.
“He’s bought some ball manufacturing this yr, proper? Clearly, love that, however … he’s totally purchased in,” interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr mentioned Thursday. “He’s a bodily participant, brings, if not probably the most, nice vitality each single day within the constructing, on the observe subject. He’s a man that always relays the message all through the week, 100% purchased into the message or the plan, executes one of the best of his means, flies round. Nice communicator, loud. I believe he bought his alternative, and he’s like, I’m holding on to this.”
Chosen by the Falcons within the fourth spherical of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Cal, Hawkins was waived halfway by the 2023 season after a regime change in Atlanta. He caught on with the Chargers after being claimed by waivers, then signed as a free agent with the Patriots throughout the 2024 offseason.
Hawkins was anticipated to assist on particular groups, however he wound up taking over a big function on protection after Jabrill Peppers was positioned on the commissioner’s exempt checklist and Kyle Dugger suffered an ankle damage.
Vrabel mentioned particular groups coaches Jeremy Springer and Tom Quinn spoke extremely of Hawkins when he arrived as head coach.
“He stored developing. He needed to play protection, however he was on each single particular workforce, was the wing. I believe they described him as a selfless participant who would do something that he may to assist the soccer workforce and was enjoying numerous protection,” Vrabel mentioned. “Appeared like a veteran man that we might need to have round. After which within the conversations that we had with me, Eliot (Wolf), (Ryan Cowden) and Stretch (John Streicher), was excited to have the ability to deliver him again. He’s earned the whole lot that he has now with the manufacturing, the play time. Retains working, it means so much to him. He’s a enjoyable man to teach, and I’m completely happy that he’s having success.”
The workforce elected to re-sign Hawkins this offseason.
Peppers and Dugger have been anticipated to reclaim their beginning roles, nevertheless it didn’t work out that method after coaching camp and preseason. Peppers was waived earlier than the season started and caught on with the Steelers. Dugger served as a backup by the start portion of the season earlier than being dealt to the Steelers on the NFL commerce deadline.
Hawkins caught on as a starter and hasn’t given up his publish.
“I knew when Vrabel got here right here, how he talked about what he was attempting to construct, the primary man that got here to my thoughts was Jaylinn Hawkins,” Springer mentioned. “Jaylinn Hawkins would play 4 core, play each play, each play on particular groups proper now, after which play 100% of the snaps on protection. He’d simply do it as a result of he cares a lot. That’s the type of man he’s. He did it for me final yr whereas he was enjoying security, and he’s by no means missed a gathering. He by no means misses observe.
“There’s nothing unhealthy I can say in regards to the man, there’s actually not. That to me personifies this workforce proper now – a bunch of fellows who’re selfless. That’s why once I was requested, when that point got here round, this previous offseason, I used to be like, ‘Coach, this can be a no-brainer. You’re going to like this man. Whether or not he performs particular groups or protection, you’re going to need this man on the workforce.’ ”
Kuhr mentioned he didn’t know a lot about Hawkins when he first arrived with Vrabel in January, however the veteran security’s exuberance was evident early.
“From day one, even OTAs, even after we have been simply type of within the walk-through durations on the sphere, like the primary OTAs, we type of simply line up towards barrels, simply listening to how loud he communicated and always repeated issues and asking questions, you knew he was going to compete all yr spherical,” Kuhr mentioned.
Hawkins will likely be a free agent after the season, and he’ll doubtless command a a lot increased wage this time on the open market. He signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract in 2024 and earned a one-year, $2.2 million deal final offseason. The Ringer’s Austin Gayle currently projects him to earn between $7-$12 million per yr in free company this offseason.
