Pre-draft Develin went undrafted in the
2010 NFL draft, as expected. He attended a tryout with the
Cleveland Browns, but did not receive a contract offer.
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz Develin originally signed with the
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of the
Arena Football League (AFL) and appeared in one game.
Florida Tuskers He then joined the
Florida Tuskers of the
United Football League (UFL), where he converted from defensive line to fullback. Develin played under Tuskers' head coach
Jay Gruden. On February 3, 2011, Develin was reunited with his former head coach with the Tuskers after Jay Gruden was hired to be the Bengals' new offensive coordinator. Throughout training camp, Develin competed for a roster spot as a fullback against
Cedric Peerman and
Fui Vakapuna. On September 3, 2011, the Bengals waived Develin, but signed him to their practice squad the next day after he cleared waivers. Develin spent the entire 2011 season on the Bengals' practice squad. On August 31, 2012, the Bengals waived Develin as part of their final roster cuts.
New England Patriots 2012 season On September 2, 2012, Develin was signed to the
New England Patriots' practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on November 28, 2012. On December 16, 2012, Develin made his professional regular season debut during the Patriots' 41–34 loss to the
San Francisco 49ers in Week 15. Develin was limited to one game as a rookie in
2012.
2013 season Throughout training camp, Develin competed against Ben Bartholomew for a roster spot as a fullback and special teams player. On September 2, 2013, the Patriots released Develin as part of their final roster cuts. On September 6, 2013, he was re-signed after tight end
Matthew Mulligan was released. Head coach
Bill Belichick named Develin the starting fullback to begin the regular season. The Patriots won
Super Bowl XLIX by a score of 28–24 against the
Seattle Seahawks. Develin recorded 1 catch for 6 yards in the Super Bowl.
2015 season On September 1, 2015, Develin was placed on season-ending injured reserve after breaking his right
tibia in a preseason game against the
Carolina Panthers.
2016 season Develin re-signed with the Patriots to a one-year contract on March 7, 2016. On February 5, 2017, Develin was part of the Patriots team that won
Super Bowl LI. In the game, he appeared on ten plays on offense and ten on special teams as the Patriots defeated the
Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime.
2017 season On March 6, 2017, Develin signed a two-year contract extension with the Patriots. The deal included a $300,000 signing bonus, $200,000 in guaranteed salary, and a maximum value of $2.85 million. On December 19, 2017, Develin was selected to the
Pro Bowl as a starting fullback. Develin could not play in the Pro Bowl because of his team advancing to
Super Bowl LII. The Patriots lost in the Super Bowl to the
Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 41–33 without Develin recording any statistics.
2018 season On June 14, 2018, Develin signed a two-year, $3.8 million contract extension with the Patriots through the 2020 season. He played the second-most snaps of any fullback after the
San Francisco 49ers'
Kyle Juszczyk. He had career highs in touchdowns, with four rushing touchdowns in a three-game span, and receptions, with 12. Develin helped the Patriots reach
Super Bowl LIII where they defeated the
Los Angeles Rams 13–3. Prior to the game, former running back and NFL analyst
Maurice Jones-Drew called Develin the most important running back in the game, noting that he provided key blocks in all four of the Patriots' rushing touchdowns in the AFC Championship game against the
Kansas City Chiefs.
2019 season On September 23, 2019, Develin was placed on
injured reserve due to a neck injury he sustained in Week 2 against the
Miami Dolphins.
Retirement On April 27, 2020, Develin announced his retirement from the NFL, citing health concerns over his neck injury. ==Career statistics==