FOXBOROUGH – The recent injuries to Tyquan Thornton and Kristian Wilkerson created even more intrigue in the battle for possibly the final receiver spot on the New England Patriots roster. If there is an open competition for it, Lil'Jordan Humphrey has certainly shined in the opportunity.

In the Patriots' preseason opener against the Giants, Humphrey had six receptions for 62 yards. He also had the Patriots' lone touchdown reception in that game, making a contested reception on a seam route where rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe underthrew him just a bit.

Humphrey continued that impressive play into the Patriots' second preseason game on Friday against the Panthers, a 20-10 win. He led all receivers with five receptions for 71 yards. Two of those receptions keep on deep passes up the middle to start the second half, showing Humphrey's potential as a big-bodied deep threat who can also make plays as a blocker at the line of scrimmage.

Not only did Humphrey impress offensively, he made a standout play on special teams, too. A Jake Bailey punt in the fourth quarter appeared bound to bounce into the Panthers' end zone, which would've given them a touchback. But Humphrey lept over the goal line to save the ball and the Patriots were able to down it at the Panthers' 3-yard line. The play killed the Panthers' drive before it even began as they were down 13-10 in the final minutes of the game.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick took notice of Humphrey's performance so far in the preseason following the win.

“He's made some plays for us since he's been here,” Belichick said. “He's a big kid that is tough and has very good hands and is kind of a big receiver, tight end-ish type of guy, has a good feel, very good instincts in the passing game.”

As Humphrey continues to make plays in the middle of the field, Belichick might have tipped off what role Humphrey could have on the team if he makes it.

“[He] handles himself well in the middle of the field with linebackers under him, over him, in between him,” Belichick said. “Kind of does the right thing there and helps the quarterback out and is a big target. He gets some tough yards after the catch. Did a decent job blocking on some of the perimeter plays. Then he showed up in the kicking game.”

Humphrey certainly fits the mold of a receiving tight end type. He holds a 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame, but isn't really quick enough to be a consistently effective outside threat. Humphrey ran a 4.75 40-yard dash at the combine in 2019, which is slow for a receiver though would make him in the middle of the pack as a tight end. His ability to make receptions and run for yards after the catch would seem to indicate that he can work well with linebackers covering him, too.

What might be most impressive about Humphrey's performance so far is that he's a relatively new addition. The Patriots didn't sign him until the middle of June, when OTAs and minicamp practices were over.

Humphrey's certainly caught Belichick's attention with his strong play from the jump.

“That was a player that we got late, wasn't with us in the spring, signed him in July, or late June, whatever it was,” Belichick said. “He's coming off an injury last year, but he's come in, really worked hard, and made a very positive impression here. We're glad we have him.”

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Humphrey also made a good first impression on Mac Jones, too.

“I think L.J. is a beast,” Jones said. “When he got signed here, I remember I texted him and asked him if he wanted to come catch, and he immediately responded and found a way to make it out to where we were and came to our throwing session.”

Humphrey's mostly worked with the back up units during team drills in practice and in the preseason games, so Jones hasn't had that much time working with him in that regard. That isn't stopping Jones from speaking highly of Humphrey, though.

“He's a grinder,” Jones said. “He's a big dude. He's great on special teams, too. We have great receivers, and it's great to see them all get a chance to catch the ball and run. He's a big body type receiver, and that's a good addition for us.”

Humphrey's roster case is intriguing entering the final week of the preseason. If the Patriots want to carry five receivers into the start of the regular season, Humphrey will likely have to outshine Tre Nixon with the three practices and one game remaining.

Humphrey's versatility though could give him an edge over Nixon. Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith are the only locks to make the roster at tight end. While both should be good enough that a third tight end shouldn't see playing time, Henry's been a bit injury prone throughout his career and has already missed time this preseason due to an injury. Carrying Humphrey could give the Patriots some insurance at tight end in addition to depth at receiver.