Nixon, who was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round (242nd overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft, holds the distinction of being Ernie Adams’ final draft pick with the Patriots organization.
The 24-year-old may have spent all of his rookie years on the Patriots’ practice squad, but he emerged as a key contributor at the position at the team’s required minicamp this spring. Because of this, quarterback Mac Jones began targeting him frequently, and the two eventually connected on several spectacularly athletic and aesthetically appealing receptions.
Nixon had a hard time getting past defenders in later padded practices. He was also on the wrong end of several passes that were dropped. As a result, he spent a lot of time practicing with the reserve squad.
Nixon made the most of his opportunities against professional-level opposition, despite the fact that his contributions to the squad during preseason games were primarily against backup defenders. While his 2022 status with the Patriots is still up in the air, his blunders and dropped passes at crucial times undoubtedly caused the team to pause.
Nixon was also challenged for the job on the inside. By being more versatile and working harder than any of them, Nixon needs to stand out from potential roster mates Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Kristian Wilkerson. While he gave it a respectable effort, it wasn’t good enough to land him a spot on the team’s opening 53-man roster for the 2022 season.
Did Tre Nixon get cut?
One of the New England Patriots’ most anticipated wide receiver prospects has left the team. The Patriots released wide receiver Tre Nixon on Tuesday as they worked to trim their roster to the required 53 players by the day’s deadline of 4 p.m.