A.J. Brown cried when his favorite team, the Patriots, didn’t draft him in 2019. Now he couldn’t be happier.

FOXBOROUGH — As the final pick of the first round approached in the 2019 NFL Draft, A.J. Brown had a strong feeling that the Patriots, his favorite team, would take him 32nd overall.

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But the pick came and went. Brown’s phone stayed silent. The Patriots selected a different receiver, N’Keal Harry out of Arizona State.

Brown, as he later recalled, immediately left his draft party, went into a closet inside his room, and bawled his eyes out. The next day, the Titans, then coached by Mike Vrabel, took Brown in the second round with the 51st overall pick.

“I think he showed me pictures when he was a little kid wearing my jersey and stuff like that,” Vrabel joked. “When we drafted him, he was like, ‘Ah, I wish the Patriots drafted me.’ ”

Seven years later, Brown will finally get to wear a Patriots uniform.

“Better late than never,” Brown said Tuesday.

The Patriots on Monday traded for the soon-to-be 29-year-old wide receiver, reuniting him with Vrabel, upgrading their offense, and giving Brown a chance to live out his draft dreams.

“I was just talking to my mom and I was like, ‘Man, I’m still in awe,’ ” Brown said. “I caught myself during practice, at one point I wasn’t paying attention, and I was like, ‘Damn, I’m a Patriot.’ ”

Brown reported to Gillette Stadium, passed his physical, and participated in a limited capacity during practice. He didn’t log many reps during the 11-on-11 periods but made an impressive one-handed grab during earlier drills.

“I’m trying to take it all in as much as I can,” he said. “Obviously, I know this ain’t heaven, but it’s close to it.”

Brown’s long-awaited arrival generated noticeable enthusiasm from the Patriots, with players and coaches gushing about what his addition could mean.

“I think it’s just exciting for the entire offense,” quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant said. “Because when you add a guy like that, it dictates coverages and it gives you favorable matchups across the board. So, I think everybody on offense is excited and should benefit.”

Added offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, “I’ve had the opportunity to have a few different receivers come into our system at times. You’ve heard about them, you’ve seen them, you’ve watched them play on tape. To actually get them on the grass and watch them do different things, it just brings the picture to life.”

Brown’s size and skill set were talking points, with many highlighting his body control, strength at the catch point, explosiveness, and competitiveness. The Patriots listed Brown at 6 feet 1 inch, 226 pounds.

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“There’s a force to the way that he plays the game,” McDaniels said. “I’m looking forward to getting used to the things that he can do that I don’t know about, which I’m sure there’s many.”

Vrabel and wide receivers coach Todd Downing, who overlapped with Brown for three seasons in Tennessee, also mentioned the growth in his understanding of the nuances of the position, as well as his role within the overall offense.

Amid all the optimism, there are still a few lingering questions.

What’s the status of his knee that reportedly prompted the Rams to remove themselves from trade negotiations? Vrabel sounded confident in Brown’s availability, pointing to his track record and adding that every player will have his own management plan. Brown said his knee is “nothing to worry about.”

After the tumultuous ending in Philadelphia, how will Brown fit in New England?

“I think what’s most important is that those things don’t carry over into the locker room, that they get handled,” Vrabel said. “I’m not trying to figure out what happened in Philadelphia. I’m trying to focus on what’s going to happen here and trying to get him acclimated to what we do and how we do it.”

Vrabel wouldn’t specify if the plan is for Brown to play on the contract he had with the Eagles. Under those terms, Brown’s salary-cap number would be $7.04 million in 2026, $10.9 million in 2027, $17.8 million in 2028, and $23.6 million in 2029. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2029 season.

Still, the excitement Tuesday overpowered any uncertainty.

“It kind of shows us how serious our coaches are about winning, just going to get a guy like that,” defensive tackle Cory Durden said. “Considering we went to the Super Bowl last year, I think that that’s the same expectation this year.”

Other notes and observations from Tuesday’s practice . . .

⋅ Offensive line coach Doug Marrone is going to be absent because he is “getting his knee cleaned up,” Vrabel said. The plan is for Marrone to return for training camp.

⋅ The Patriots have rescheduled their mandatory minicamp to June 9-11 instead of June 15-17. The veteran offseason program will conclude roughly a week earlier than expected, and will no longer overlap with Foxborough’s World Cup games.

⋅ There will be two joint practices hosted by the Patriots during training camp. The Colts will come to town for one day (Aug. 11), and the Eagles for two (Aug. 19-20).

⋅ The Patriots on Monday placed tight end Julian Hill on injured reserve. Vrabel confirmed Tuesday the injury occurred in practice but would not get into details. Hill, who was expected to contribute as a run blocker, will miss the season.

⋅ Cornerback Christian Gonzalez was again absent from practice, as he awaits a new contract. Among the other absences were wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones, and edge rushers Gabe Jacas and Harold Landry.

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