One of the more under-the-radar needs from this year's draft for the Patriots was kicker, which has unfortunately been a big weakness of their roster since losing Stephen Gostkowski and later Nick Folk. Bill Belichick seemed to have made the mistake of keeping rookie Chad Ryland over the experienced veteran, who went on to have the best seasons of his career with the Titans.
Ironically, after having an unforgettable (and not in a good way) rookie year, Ryland became a kicking savior for the Cardinals in 2024, making the decision to move on from him look like another giant mistake in recent memory.
Because they chose to rightfully move on from Joey Slye after his roller coaster lone season in New England, only John Parker Romo remained on the roster at the position. Not knowing what he is exactly capable of made the Patriots a frontrunner for a kicker, which they inevitably took by using their newly acquired sixth-round pick on Miami's Andres Borregales.
He was the consensus best kicker of the draft, so using a draft pick on him instead of waiting to hopefully sign him as an undrafted free agent makes a lot of sense. It's presumed Borregales will compete with Parker Romo for the starting job, if not lock it down already by being a draft pick this year.
The Patriots hit the jackpot in the sixth round by drafting the best overall kicker of the 2025 class
Since addressing every vulnerable area of the team has clearly been the goal of this year's draft, it was inevitable that a kicker would be one of the Patriots' final picks. The fact that they were able to get Borregales makes it even better.
He impressed during his final season at Miami, missing just one field goal and hitting every extra point he was asked to make. That's a far cry from what the Patriots have had in recent years, so Borregales will immediately serve an essential role on the 2025 team.
The decision to draft him when they did looks even better after the Ravens took the next kicker with the 186th pick.
The Patriots are now guaranteed a kicker with an impressive leg and track record over the past four years who they can rely on in their most dire moments. There were far too many games in recent times when they lost because of a missed field goal or extra point, and that shouldn't be a problem with Borregales on the field.
The hope (of course) is that the Patriots finally got it right with who they chose this time. Borregales is the third kicker selected by the team since 2019, so hopefully, the third time will be the charm.