The Mike Vrabel regime had a daunting task going into this year's draft, as the Patriots' roster needed a lot of help across the board for the immediate future and the long-term outlook. They had already added some impressive defensive talent in free agency, so it was time to address the offense and special teams in the draft, which is exactly what they did.
Eliot Wolf redeemed himself for a poor 2024 draft class, and that was proven without a shadow of a doubt during the preseason, except for one position: kicker. Since the departure of Stephen Gostkowski, the Patriots have struggled to find their next franchise special teamer.
It looked like they had that with Nick Folk, only for Bill Belichick to release him in favor of rookie Chad Ryland, who was then released a year later. That put the Patriots in need of a kicker, leading to them shockingly drafting Andres Borregales in the sixth round earlier this year, and at this point, it's not looking like a good decision.
The Patriots might be regretting their decision to draft a kicker in this year's draft
Although Borregales was widely considered the best kicker prospect of the 2025 class, he has yet to live up to the hype since joining the Patriots.
He has been competing for the starting role with returning player Parker Romo all summer long, as the pair have remained relatively even with their performances. That slightly changed with Borregales' night against the Giants in the preseason finale, since he missed a 49-yard field goal and was the only kicker used during the game.
That throws a wrench into the Patriots' presumed plans to have the rookie be their starting kicker for the season ahead, as they used a draft pick to ensure he was on their roster this upcoming season.
That might have been a mistake if he doesn't prove his value in the weeks leading to the season, if they decide to keep him on the 53-man roster. Vrabel and Co. might be forced to do that to avoid the risk of another team signing him before Week 1, or even stealing him from the practice squad if they move him there instead.
It could prove to be what was needed if Romo shows that he is the reliable player they need him to be. But at the same time, it wouldn't be a great look for Wolf to have wasted another draft pick on a player who inevitably didn't make the team, or even worse, turned out to be a great player on another team.