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HOUSTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 22: Caleb Hawkins #24 of the North Texas Mean Green, right, celebrates with Cameron Dorner #4, left, after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Rice Owls at Rice Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kevin M. Cox/Getty Images)
Cameron Dorner ventured into New England Patriots training camp facing one of the steepest climbs on the roster.
The undrafted rookie from North Texas is buried in a wide receiver room filled with veterans, returning contributors and younger players already carrying NFL experience.
Several practices in, Dorner has started to give the Patriots a reason to keep watching.
Sports Illustrated’s Ethan Hurwitz listed Dorner among three Patriots rookies rising on the depth chart after the opening stretch of camp.
Dorner has worked primarily with the third-team offense, but Hurwitz noted that he has looked smooth coming out of his routes and caught two passes during Tuesday’s practice, drawing an enthusiastic response from teammates on the field.
For a player whose route to the roster may run through the practice squad, those are the kind of early moments that are of the utmost importance.
Dorner Has Production Behind Early Patriots Buzz
GettyALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – DECEMBER 27: Wide receiver Cameron Dorner #4 of the North Texas Mean Green runs for a touchdown against safety Dwayne McDougle #26 of the San Diego State Aztecs during the second half of the Isleta New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Mean Green defeated the Aztecs 49-47. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
Dorner’s start to camp follows a productive final college season that gave New England reason to view him as more than a camp body.
The Patriots’ official website highlighted Dorner in May as one of the undrafted receivers with a realistic chance to push for a roster spot. He finished his final season at North Texas with 56 catches for 911 yards and eight touchdowns.
His game was built more on route-running and movement than straight-line speed.
Dorner ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash, but New England’s pre-camp breakdown credited him with forcing 14 missed tackles and averaging 5.8 yards after the catch per reception.
He also produced in pivotal games. Dorner caught six passes for 76 yards against Tulane in the AAC championship game, a performance the Patriots cited while evaluating his profile.
Dorner already showed he could win with timing, change of direction and efficiency at the top of routes in college.
Those traits have started to translate during the first week in Foxborough.
Dorner Faces Stacked Patriots WR Room
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 09: Members of the New England Patriots look on during a minicamp at Gillette Stadium on June 09, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
The problem for Dorner is the depth chart around him.
New England entered camp with one of its deepest receiver rooms in recent memory after adding A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs to a group that already included Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III.
The competition has only intensified since practices began.
Boutte, in particular, has been one of the stars of camp.
98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth wrote after Tuesday’s session that Boutte had been the Patriots’ best receiver through four days, making a series of big plays with Drake Maye.
That leaves Dorner competing for opportunities farther down the rotation, where special teams value and consistency can decide whether a player survives final cuts.
Sports Illustrated suggested a practice-squad spot may be Dorner’s shot at this stage.
The Patriots have also given players in that position a legitimate opportunity before.
New England’s official website noted this spring that an undrafted rookie has made the initial 53-man roster in 21 of the past 22 seasons, with 2023 the lone exception.
Dorner still has plenty of ground to cover, especially once padded practices begin and the competition changes.
But he has already done the first thing a long-shot rookie needs to do.
He has made himself tough to overlook.
Duncan Day is a sports contributor for Heavy. He has covered NFL, NBA, hockey and soccer for various outlets, including NBC Sports, Boston.com, USA TODAY, Forbes, Bleacher Report, The Dallas Morning News and more. More about Duncan Day
