Patriots looked for these 3 traits in drafting ‘level-headed' new kicker

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2 days ago

In the sixth-round of April's NFL Draft, the Patriots selected Andy Borregales, making the Miami product the first kicker chosen in 2025.
A Venezuela native, Borregales put together a terrific career for the Hurricanes, making 74 of 86 field goals (86%) and going 18 for 19 as a senior (94.7%) with a long of 56 yards.
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Ahead of Monday's OTA, special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer outlined three traits that led the Patriots to drafting Borregales.
'Consistency, right? First and foremost, they've gotta make kicks. He did that throughout his career,' Springer said. 'So consistency was No. 1, then just the type of kid he is, the type of character, and then the overall ability. Does he have the ability to get better?'
When meeting with Borregales in the pre-draft process, there was one thing that jumped out to Springer about his demeanor.
'Level-headed. Level-headed,' Springer repeated. 'Never too big, never too small of a moment for him. I think in that case, you like those type of guys that, they don't overthink. They go out there and do their job. They're consistent.'
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Though taken in the sixth round, it's not a slam dunk that Borregales will be New England's starting kicker when Week 1 rolls around.
The 22-year-old will need to earn that job and he's currently competing with John Parker Romo, a veteran who has spent time with five different NFL organizations. This spring, Borregales has been the stronger of the two in practices open to the media.
'Parker and Andy are doing a great job,' Springer said. 'They're competing right now and they both know it's a competition. It's a healthy competition. They're both helping each other out... they're fitting right in, doing a great job.'
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Read the original article on MassLive.