The Patriots will be holding several special teams competitions this offseasons.
After drafting kicker Andres Borregales in Round 6, the Patriots added another special teamer in Round 7, selecting Vanderbilt long snapper Julian Ashby with pick 251. He’ll come to Foxborough where he’ll compete with the longest tenured member of the Patriots, Joe Cardona.
On Saturday, Ashby said he had a workout with the Patriots.
“In this position, it’s kind of a toss up,” Ashby said of getting draft. “You never know what’s going to happen going through this process, but was able to build a relationship with the staff there over the past few weeks, and just super excited to go up there and play for coach Vrabel and be a part of a franchise that’s done a lot of winning.”
Ashby started his career at Furman, where he held snapping duties from 2020-2023. Last year, he transferred to Vanderbilt as a graduate student. Studying mechanical engineering, Ashby earned CSC Academic All-American honors and was also named to the SEC Football Community Service Team.
Ashby played in all 13 games for Vanderbilt, snapping the ball 114 times. He was named a Special Teams U Third Team All-American.
He’s the first long snapper drafted by the Patriots since 2015 when they drafted Cardona in the fifth round. A 2-time Super Bowl champion, Cardona has provided a steady presence for the Patriots at the long snapper position – and now, he’ll the his stiffest competition of his career.
“He kind of paved the way for long snappers and has had a great career,” Ashby said. “I’m excited to meet him and learn from him.”
More Patriots Content
Read the original article on MassLive.
The Patriots will be holding several special teams competitions this offseasons.
After drafting kicker Andres Borregales in Round 6, the Patriots added another special teamer in Round 7, selecting Vanderbilt long snapper Julian Ashby with pick 251. He’ll come to Foxborough where he’ll compete with the longest tenured member of the Patriots, Joe Cardona.
On Saturday, Ashby said he had a workout with the Patriots.
“In this position, it’s kind of a toss up,” Ashby said of getting draft. “You never know what’s going to happen going through this process, but was able to build a relationship with the staff there over the past few weeks, and just super excited to go up there and play for coach Vrabel and be a part of a franchise that’s done a lot of winning.”
Ashby started his career at Furman, where he held snapping duties from 2020-2023. Last year, he transferred to Vanderbilt as a graduate student. Studying mechanical engineering, Ashby earned CSC Academic All-American honors and was also named to the SEC Football Community Service Team.
Ashby played in all 13 games for Vanderbilt, snapping the ball 114 times. He was named a Special Teams U Third Team All-American.
He’s the first long snapper drafted by the Patriots since 2015 when they drafted Cardona in the fifth round. A 2-time Super Bowl champion, Cardona has provided a steady presence for the Patriots at the long snapper position – and now, he’ll the his stiffest competition of his career.
“He kind of paved the way for long snappers and has had a great career,” Ashby said. “I’m excited to meet him and learn from him.”
