'Julian Edelman Stories' Give Hope to Patriots' Undrafted Rookie

Set to turn to Mac Jones for the third straight season, the New England Patriots have more or less given up on the search for the next Tom Brady for the foreseeable future. 

Finding Julian Edelman 2.0, on the other hand, might prove more manageable.

That's a title that will follow any New England quarterback that dares line up anywhere besides under center moving forward. For Malk Cunningham, however, it may be his prefect, realistic path to defying the odds of the undrafted and lingering among New England's opening 53.

Cunningham faces an uphill battle to serve as Jones' understudy with sophomore draftee Bailey Zappe back and former Arizona Cardinal Trace McSorely joining the fold. But the all-time leader in University of Louisville touchdowns alongside previous MFL MVP Lamar Jackson has proven more than capable of handling duties beyond the backfield and the Patriots appear to be maximizing those talents.

And, yes ... Cunningham has already endured the Edelman Jr. comparisons. He has binged-watched Edelman film upon his arrival and he claims someone invokes Edelman's name to him "once a week – at least." 

But he's choosing to embrace such a legacy rather than ignore it.

"The Julian Edelman stories, the guys that played quarterback in college and moved over to receiver,” Cunningham said of his gridiron inspiration as the Patriots work through their final spring activities, per Mark Daniels of Massachusetts.com. “Seeing those guys do it and I know, not that I’m more athletic than those guys, but we’re all on the same level, so I feel like I can do it.”

It'll be a tall task to fully replicate what Edelman did in Foxborough: Cunningham certainly isn't amassing 41 touchdowns, three Super Bowl rings, and a title game MVP award all in the same year. 

Cunningham also revealed that he "never ran a route ever in (his) life," having racked up the yardage and points through passing and rushing at both Louisville and Park Crossing High School in Alabama. Even if that is the case, it's not too far off from Edelman's experience running routes beforehand: prior to his New England entry, Edelman had a single 11-yard reception at Kent State before the Patriots drafted him in the seventh round of 2009's selections.

The Edelman film has helped and Cunnigham thinks his time studying routes over the years as a passer will come in handy as he prepares to haul them in instead.

"The quarterback is still in me so it’s kind of learning as we go," he said. "(I'm) just trying to get better each and every day, so that’s been the task, trying to focus on the details at the receiver standpoint: alignment, assignment, and knowing what to do.

“It’s definitely different, but I’m a team player so whatever the team needs me to do, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability," Cunningham continued. "Even though I’ve never done it before, just keep working every day, trying to get better at it.”

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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