Pats load up offensive line on the final day
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots, with a load of nine picks on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, wasted no time adding to the offensive line, reaching out to a small school to add Troy’s Jake Andrews.
The 6-foot-2, 305-pounder has experience playing at center and right guard and made 38 starts in college. He was projected as a late Day 3 pick with concerns about his athletic limitations and shorter arms. Andrews is regarded as tough, durable and smart and was the fifth pick of Round 4 (107 overall).
He was invited to the Senior Bowl, where he faced off against fellow Patriots draftees Keion White and Marte Mapu. Andrews ran a 5.15 in the 40-yard dash at the combine and pushed out a stellar 29 reps of bench press at 225 pounds at his Pro Day.
He could provide immediate depth behind center David Andrews and right guard Mike Onwenu, who is entering a contract year.
The Patriots added some competition for veteran Nick Folk by moving up to take Maryland kicker Chad Ryland with the 10th pick (112) of the fourth round. New England made a deal with the New York Jets to move up, sending a later pick in the fourth round plus one in the sixth.
They closed out their fourth round with another addition to the offensive line, selecting Eastern Michigan left guard Sidy Sow with the 117th overall pick. Sow, a 6-4, 323-pounder, is one of the draft’s most experienced offensive lineman with 55 career starts. He started 44 games at left guard the last four seasons after taking 11 at left tackle in 2018.
Also selected on the final day of the draft:
UCLA fifth-year senior Atonio Mafi, taken in the fifth round (144). The 6-3, 329-pounder is regarded as a mauler in the run game. He transitioned from defensive tackle to O-line in 2020, then started 16 games split between left guard and right guard over the past two years.
LSU’s Kayshon Boutte with the 187th overall pick in the sixth round. Boutte represents a worthy gamble considering his immense talent and roller-coaster college career. After earning freshman All-American honors in 2020, Boutte was considered a firstround talent. He caught nine touchdowns in six games the following year. Off-field issues and effort concerns caused his draft stock to plummet last season.
New England became the first team since 2000 to draft a kicker and a punter, adding Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer with the 192nd overall pick in the sixth round. Baringer was named a first-team All-American and the Big Ten Punter of the Year.
A familiar face was added later in the sixth round with the selection of Liberty wide receiver Demario Douglas with the 210th overall pick. Douglas played under the Patriots coaching staff last January at the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he flashed his 4.4 speed and above-average agility against other college prospects.
The final of the four sixthround picks was used to add depth at cornerback and on their special teams units with Michigan State’s Ameer Speed. … With their final pick, the Patriots chose Jackson State’s Isaiah Bolden, a 6-2, 200-pound cornerback, with the 28th pick of the seventh round (245 overall).
Friday night recap
The New England Patriots picked Georgia Tech standout Keion White 46th overall, adding one of the most agile edge rushers in this year’s draft class.
The Patriots also selected Sacramento State safety-linebacker hybrid Marte Mapu with the 76th overall pick in the third round, leaving them with nine remaining picks. A trade with the Steelers on Thursday gave New England a fourth-round pick (120th overall).