Come here for all your one-stop shopping for the Patriots' day three picks. I will update as we go, with nuggets and quotes and whatever else comes to mind.
Round 4, Pick #106: Craig Woodson, S, Cal
Safety wasn't a high priority for the Patriots heading into the draft. The team has eight under contract: Kyle Dugger, Jabril Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, Marcus Epps, Marte Mapu, Dell Pettus, Brenden Schooler, and Mark Perry. But that didn't stop Mike Vrabel and company from grabbing one to start day three, Craig Woodson.
The University of California product is a six-year, 24-year-old senior. Woodson started the Bears' last 38 games, overcoming a 2021 knee injury that cost him time. He is best in that split-safety role, but showed good range in the deep third. He was named third-team All-ACC this past season, recording 70 tackles, 2 INTs and 7 PBUs.
"I mean, hitting people is what I've liked to do since (a kid, like when I first started playing football, like, just running up, hitting somebody, smacking them, getting them on the ground," said Woodson, adding, "For me, that's really the thrill of the game...I'm gonna love bringing that to New England."
"Really smart," a college scouting director told me. "Seems to find himself in the right place always."
Woodson is not the biggest - he's 6'0", 200 lbs - but is an impressive athlete, running a 4.45 40 (he plays to it), hitting 36 inches on his vertical and 10'7" on the broad jump (mercy). He has plenty of special teams experience (450 career snaps) and feels like an immediate member of the core four (KO, KR, Punt, PR).
"Special teams is another extension defense in my mind," he said. "So, being able to set the defense up for good field position or even offense, when it comes to special teams, like you got to take advantage of that, and put me on the field on special teams. I'm going down there make a play."
ROUND 4, PICK #137: JOSHUA FARMER, DT, FSU
With the uncertainty over Christian Barmore's availability - the Patriots are cautiously optimistic about his recovery from blood clots - adding a big-bodied defensive lineman made all the sense in the world at some point during the NFL Draft. Mission now accomplished.
After trading picks #144 to #238 to move up seven spots, the Pats selected 6'3", 305-pound defensive tackle Joshua Farmer. Per league source, there were two teams between where the Pats were and where they got to that had interest in Farmer. That said, 17 other DTs were taken before he got picked, and that left a mark.
"I was coming there with that anyway, but yeah, it grew bigger,' said Farmer when asked if he has a healthy-sized chip on his shoulder now. "I'm in the right situation. Man, me and Milton (Williams), and Christian, we got some dogs. It's not gonna be the same. We bringing back the old New England."
The Florida State product reportedly has some long-term injury concerns, causing him to slide a little further down the board than expected. He was an honorable mention All-ACC selection this past season, recording 32 tackles, 8 TFLs, and four sacks. The year prior, Farmer was a second-team All-ACC choice.
Power is the name of Farmer's game, and he can be disruptive in the run game, though he needs to work on his consistency. He has long arms (yes, it's a thing at all positions) and big, heavy hands. The 22-year-old can play end in odd fronts and will work on the interior in even fronts.
"He's got starter potential," one scout texted me. "Just needs to show up every play."
Farmer is another former team captain that the Pats have grabbed in this draft (Campbell, Henderson), and thus far, every pick is considered a leader/elite teammate.
ROUND 5, PICK #146: BRADYN SWINSON, EDGE, LSU
A not-so-sneaky need for the Patriots coming into this week was an edge rusher with a penchant for getting after the QB. The team hopes they've addressed that with the selection of Braydn Swinson.
"This kid will get on your ass," an NFL assistant coach told me last week as I put the finishing touches on draft prep.
Swinson did all his damage as a standup rusher for the Tigers this past season, finishing with 8.5 sacks, 59 QB pressures, and 13.5 tackles for loss. In his previous four seasons (three at Oregon before transferring to LSU), Swinson had recorded just 43 total pressures, so it's safe to say he finally found his game.
"I win my one-on-ones. That's what I do. I pass rush," he said. "I know how to get to the ball. I really just know how to find my way and be around the ball. I think that's the big thing with me: my pass rushing."
Swinson is 6'4", 255 pounds, with longish arms (33 7/8'). He makes a good effort against the run, but it's not his strong suit, and he struggles with power. That will need to be an area to work on if he hopes to be a full-time player.
Swinson, soon to be 23, loves football, but he's strong-willed and had some disagreements with the coaching staff. That led to a one-quarter suspension for the Florida game for "not meeting team standards." He reportedly was late for a "check-in."
As a collegiate teammate of Will Campbell, Swinson was asked if he could share any insight into the Pats' first-round pick.
"Y'all gonna expect a guy that's not gonna let his quarterback get touched, for sure," he said. "You got a guy that's a blue-collar guy, you know? Just head down, working. Everything Will do is about work. Hard work. That's a guy that's gonna do everything right."
ROUND 6, PICK #182: ANDRES BORREGALES, K, MIAMI
The Pats dropped down 11 spots on the board, dealing pick #171 to the Lions for picks #182 and #228. And with that pick, they promised to create a kicking competition. Andres Borregales getting the call to go toe-to-toe with John Parker Romo (Joey Slye left via free agency).
The University of Miami product is considered the best placekicker in this draft. He started all four years for the Hurricanes and missed exactly one kick last year (18-of-19 FGS, 62-of-62 PATs). For his efforts, Borregales was named a first-team All-ACC performer. He earned those same honors the year prior.
Borregales has a strong and accurate leg, drilling 75% of his attempts of 50 yards or beyond. He drilled a career-long 56-yarder in week 5 against Virginia Tech. Can a warm weather kicker deliver the same type of consistency in the cold?
“All my life, I looked up to Adam Vinatieri," said Borregales. "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.”
The Ravens, who are dealing with the Justin Tucker situation, picked PK Tyler Loop four picks later.
ROUND 7, PICK #220: MARCUS BRYANT, OT, MISSOURI
Next up for the Patriots, with their first of three 7th-round picks, is a tackle, Marcus Bryant. He played in 55 games with 42 career starts in his two stops, first at SMU, then this past season for Missouri.
"Man, it was like a dream come true," he said of getting the call from the Pats. "Like, I didn't think it was real. I was just in my living room watching the draft, just preparing for the future, and when they called me, it was just a surreal moment. It was crazy."
Bryant had a '30' visit with the team and spent time with one of their scouts at Missouri's pro day. He's 6'7", 320 pounds, with long arms (34 5/8" inches) and wingspan (83 1/8"), but he has small hands (8 7/8"). Kyle Kennard, who won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player in college football) at South Carolina last year, named Bryant the toughest guy he faced this past season.
"He's lengthy, hard to get around," said Kennard, "and it showed throughout our game."
Bryant was a 2022 first-team All-ACC selection. He had an RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 8.96. This ranked 158 out of 1,508 OT from 1987 to 2025. He is considered a little stiff in his movements and would be a candidate to move over to the right side after playing LT for the Tigers.
ROUND 7, PICK #251: JULIAN ASHBY, LS, VANDERBILT
After trading back from pick #228, the Patriots acquired two seventh-rounders - the more the merrier, I always say. With the first of those two selections, they snag a long snapper, Julian Ashby. Competition for Joe Cardona? Or, perhaps, a successor? We shall see.
Ashby played all 13 games at Vanderbilt this past season, and had a pair of tackles. He's 6'1 and weighed 221 pounds at the Commodores pro day. Ashby was a busy man during the lead-up to the draft. He had at least a half-dozen private workouts and attended the Tennessee Titans local pro day. One of those private workouts was with the Pats special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer.
"He kind of walked me through the expectations there and the opportunity," said Ashby. "And, you know, I just kind of put my best foot forward, and I guess it went well enough that they're willing to take a chance on me here."
Kid is smart. He was an academic All-American. Prior to his time at Vandy, Ashby snapped at Furman. He was asked what makes for a good player in this role.
"I think for me, dependability has always been the word - that's staying healthy and staying available," he said, adding, "But it's also doing the job well so that a coach can worry about scheme and the rest of the game, rather than the actual operation of a punt or a kick or whatever it is that's going on. So, kind of just showing up every day, doing what I'm told, and making my coaches and my kicker and my punters job as easy as possible. And if you can do that, then you can have success as a snapper."
ROUND 7, PICK #257: KOBEE MINOR, CB, MEMPHIS
For the first time since 2005, and just the third time in franchise history. the Patriots had the honor of making the final pick in the NFL Draft. Welcome to Foxborough, Kobee Minor.
"It's just a blessing," he said. "I've been waiting all day. I didn't know if I was gonna get the call or not, and I ended up waiting to the last pick, and I ended up getting that call. My heart was racing, so I'm thankful."
He's embracing the title of Mr. Irrelevant, given to the last pick in every draft.
"I love it because I've never been a highly recruited guy, never been one of the top guys," he said. "So, really, this isn't anything new to me. I'm gonna just go out here and do what I got to do, put my head down and grind like I always been."
The University of Memphis product is a 5'11", 188-pound cornerback. He helped the Tigers to one of the best seasons in school history (11 wins) with 38 tackles (7 for loss), 7 PBUs, and two forced fumbles. Minor has been a here, there, everywhere player, starting his career at Texas Tech, then transferring to Indiana, then Memphis. Why so much movement?
"I wasn't getting the shine that I wanted (at Tech)," he said. "So, I took my chances into the portal and landed at Indiana with Coach (Tom) Allen and his staff. I'm just grateful they took me in for that, and I got to do what I could to help out the team.
"His staff ended up getting let go, so my final year, I decided to hit the portal again, and Memphis took a chance on me. I went with it, ran with it, and I'm here today."
Minor went to Tech as a safety, converted to corner, and played outside at IU and Memphis. He noted that there was a package for him to play nickel this past year, but they never used it.