The New England Patriots entered training camp with several starting positions available, but the kicking role was an unexpected focal point. The team used a sixth-round draft pick on University of Miami's Andres Borregales after previously cycling through Nick Folk, Chad Ryland, and Joey Slye. Borregales was among college football's best in 2024 and was drafted to provide stability at kicker. Former XFL standout John Parker Romo has forced a tight competition, performing flawlessly in preseason and drilling a 57-yard kick in the opener. Multiple reporters are projecting Borregales off 53-man rosters. Borregales missed badly on his own 57-yard attempt.
The Patriots recently accomplished something no NFL team would celebrate - they used a draft pick on a kicker for the second time in three years. They've now hopped from veteran Nick Folk, to 2023 fourth-round pick Chad Ryland, to journeyman Joey Slye over the past three seasons. So it was hardly a surprise when New England used a sixth-round pick on University of Miami star Andres Borregales this year.
But in what has become one of the most surprising position battles of training camp, Borregales finds himself locked in a neck-and-neck battle with former XFL standout John Parker Romo. And while the draft capital alone makes Borregales seem like a shoo-in, that's clearly not the case entering what could be a decisive preseason finale for the Patriots' kickers on Thursday night.
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