New England Patriots sign safety Jaylinn Hawkins

The New England Patriots are signing Jaylinn Hawkins, with the addition giving Carolina some much needed depth at safety.

According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Hawkins agreed to a deal with the Patriots. The former Cal Golden Bear arrived in the NFL in 2020 as a fourth round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons.

Screwed that one up. The #Patriots are signing former #Falcons and #Chargers S Jaylinn Hawkins, sources say. Not the #Panthers, as I’d previously posted. Misread a text. Apologies on that one.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 21, 2024

His best season was in 2022 with the Falcons. That’s when Hawkins started 16 games and played the third-most defensive snaps on the team. He notched 84 total tackles, including 45 solo, with two interceptions and six passes defended.

Hawkins also is a big contributor on special teams.

The Falcons released him last October. That allowed the Chargers to sign him off of waivers. And now he is headed back east for a spot on the Patriots.