Patriots Rookies Finally Get Real Jersey Numbers, With N'Keal Harry Getting No. 8
BOSTON (CBS) -- As a rookie on the Patriots, you have to earn everything. That includes a real jersey number.
And with the preseason schedule beginning Thursday night in Detroit, this year's class finally got some of those real numbers.
The Patriots shared the numbers, highlighted by first-round receiver N'Keal Harry getting No. 8. Harry wore No. 1 in college, which isn't allowed for wide receivers in the NFL. (Wide receivers can only wear 10-19 or 80-89; 1-9 are reserved for quarterbacks, kickers and punters.) It was originally reported that Harry would wear No. 10, but the team later clarified.
Fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham will sport No. 4, while promising undrafted rookie receiver Jakobi Meyers will wear No. 16.
Here's the complete list of rookie jersey numbers (for now):
1 -- WR Cameron Meredith
4 -- QB Jarrett Stidham
7 -- P Jake Bailey
8 -- WR N'Keal Harry
9 -- WR Gunner Olszewski
16 -- WR Jakobi Meyers
19 -- WR Ryan Davis
33 -- CB Joejuan Williams
37 -- RB Damien Harris
41 -- CB D'Angelo Ross
42 -- RB Nick Brossette
42 -- S Malik Gant
47 -- DB Ken Webster
50 -- DE/OLB Chase Winovich
59 -- LB Terez Hall
64 -- G/C Hjalte Froholdt
65 -- OT Yodny Cajuste
67 -- C/G Tyler Gauthier
68 -- OT Tyree St. Louis
86 -- TE/FB Andrew Beck
92 -- DT Nick Thurman
99 -- DT Byron Cowart
(Meredith, a receiver, currently has No. 1 assigned to him, but he is on the PUP list and is unlikely to play any time soon.)
The "for now" was necessary there, as preseason jersey numbers don't necessarily indicate what jerseys the players will wear after final cuts, when more numbers become available. As one example of such a change, Dont'a Hightower wore No. 45 during the preseason in his rookie year of 2012, before switching to No. 54. Hightower got that number when it became clear to the Patriots that offensive lineman Brian Waters would not be returning to the team.
In recent years, Belichick has assigned numbers to rookies based on where they were drafted or when they were signed as undrafted rookies, with the top pick getting No. 50 and the rest falling in line behind that. For example, this summer, top pick Harry has worn No. 50, followed by second-round pick Joejuan Williams wearing No. 51, and third-round picks Chase Winovich and Damien Harris wearing Nos. 52 and 53, respectively.
The Patriots kick off their preseason on Thurdsay night against the Detroit Lions, and you can watch it all on WBZ-TV. It begins Thursday at 7 p.m. with Patriots Game Day, followed by the game, beginning at 7:30 p.m. After the game, stay tuned for Patriots Fifth Quarter on WBZ.
