Going into this year's draft, most believed the Patriots were going to focus on improving the offense after prioritizing bulking up the defense in free agency. There were no expectations regarding special teams, despite the group being mostly underwhelming or downright questionable over the last few years.
So when Mike Vrabel and Co. chose to select Miami kicker Andres Borregales in the sixth round and later spent a seventh-rounder on a long snapper, it was clear that they truly wanted to boost the roster in all aspects.
Although it will likely be debated for years to come if using draft capital on these positions is worth it, for the time being, snagging the best kicker and long snapper of this year's class is difficult to argue against, especially given how impressive the rest of their draft picks were.
Making their picks even better was hearing the first comments from Borregales and how he immediately became a likely fan favorite. That might not be easy for a kicker, but when you mention a future Hall of Famer as your inspiration, how could he not win them over?
Andres Borregales says all the right things upon being drafted by the Patriots
The Patriots had a very busy Saturday between making draft picks and those players then meeting with the media to answer their first questions as a new member of the team. Typically, nothing too exciting is said, as they usually just share their excitement about fulfilling their dream of making the NFL.
However, Borregales took it a step further by revealing his biggest NFL idol as Patriots great Adam Vinatieri, winning over the hearts of fans everywhere, especially those lucky enough to have experienced the early dynasty era.
Kicker Andres Borregales: “All my life, I looked up to Adam Vinatieri. Legend. All those clutch kicks in the snow. I can’t wait to experience that. I know a lot of people thought that me being from Miami, that I can’t handle the cold. I think I can prove people wrong about that.” pic.twitter.com/jlAy4LGNWc
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) April 26, 2025
RELATED: Grading all 11 of the Patriots' stellar picks from the 2025 NFL Draft
Borregales made his comments even better by addressing some concerns about coming from a school in South Florida and how he will handle playing in the colder temperatures. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be something he's at all worried about.
That inevitably made his introduction to Patriots Nation among the best it could possibly be, and fans are much more excited about what's to come from a traditionally uninteresting selection.
Borregales could be exactly what the team has been looking for at kicker since Bill Belichick made the mistake of letting Nick Folk walk in free agency ahead of the 2023 season.