Newly-signed Jamree Kromah explains what he brings to the Patriots defense

In light of placing edge defender Oshane Ximines on injured reserve last week, the New England Patriots decided to look to the Chicago Bears to fill a suddenly-open spot on their roster. Defensive lineman Jamree Kromah, an undrafted rookie out of James Madison, was their target and promptly poached off the Bears' practice squad.

With the Patriots playing the New York Jets just one day after bringing Kromah aboard, his first appearance with the team had to wait; he did not make the trip to East Rutherford and was instead made an unsurprising healthy scratch for the 24-3 loss.

Heading into the upcoming Week 4 contest against the San Francisco 49ers , however, Kromah is a regular part of the team. And as the Patriots returned to practice on Monday off their mini-bye, he took to the field alongside his teammates for the first time.

Before the session, the 24-year-old briefly met with the media in the locker room to explain what he is bringing to his new club.

"I got a motor," he told ESPN's Mike Reiss. "Play the run very well. Play the pass also very well. I know there are more things that I can do. Playing the run takes will, but playing the pass takes skill. So, it's like, just keep sharpening the tools to just be better; get 1 percent better each and every day."

Kromah started his college career at Rutgers before transferring to James Madison in 2022. In between those two stints, he totaled 46 in-game appearances and 15 career sacks.

A versatile player capable of playing various techniques along the defensive line, he entered the NFL off his best season. Kromah registered 10 sacks among 42 total quarterback pressures, 19.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. He was named first-team All-Sun Belt and invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl.

And yet, the 6-foot-4, 275-pounder did not hear his name called in the NFL Draft. Instead, he took the free agency route to Chicago, where he saw action in four preseason games with three quarterback pressures and three run-game tackles.

The Patriots apparently liked what they saw as well.

"Everything was happening so fast," he recalled getting signed to the team's active roster. "Late in the week and later in time I just got myself together. Settled down, like, 'Alright, let's work. It's time to go.'"