Pats Pulpit
For literal decades, the New England Patriots had one of the best kicker situations in pro football. However, with the days of Adam Vinatieri, Stephen Gostkowski and, yes, Nick Folk all in the rear-view mirror, the team needed a reset.
It found it in the form of a 2025 sixth-round draft pick.
Name: Andrés Borregales
Position: Placekicker
Jersey number: 36 (w)
Opening day age: 23 (1/2/2003)
Measurements: 5’11 1/8”, 202 lbs, 28 7/8” arm length, 8 1/4” hand size, N/A Relative Athletic Score
NFL: New England Patriots (2025-) | College: Miami (2021-24)
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Borregales and his family moved to the United States shortly before his second birthday. Playing soccer and football growing up, he attended several high schools in the Miami area in hopes of maximizing his potential on the gridiron. Eventually, he finished at Champagnat Catholic and as a three-star recruit — one who received a handful of scholarship offers before committing to his hometown school.
In four seasons at the University of Miami, Borregales proved himself more than just an able kicker: he became one of the best players at his position in the entire country. A four-time All-ACC selection (first team 2023 and 2024; second team 2021 and 2022), he appeared in 50 total games for the Hurricanes and went 74 for 86 as a field goal kicker (86%) as well as 183 for 184 on extra points (99.5%).
Borregales set his sights on the NFL in 2025. The consensus top kicker prospect, he heard his name called 182nd overall by the Patriots in the sixth round of the draft. He went on to appear in all 21 of his new team’s games and finished with a success rate of 81.6% on field goals and 96.8% on extra points.
Strengths: Borregales is a technically advanced kicker whose smooth and repeatable motion allows him to combine accuracy and maximize his range. His leg strength was already on display in college, and translated to the NFL as well: he went 4-of-5 from beyond 50 yards in his rookie season. It also allowed him to adapt to the challenging weather conditions he faced playing in New England.
In addition, he also has vast experience on kickoffs and despite the pro game using different rules he showed some quick adaptability — something that is also true when it comes to his work with a new coaching staff, holder and long snapper in 2025. He also showed mental toughness on multiple occasions as a rookie, a highly important skill for a position such as placekicker.
Weaknesses: Borregales has all the tools to succeed in the NFL, but he did have some issues with consistency on both field goals and kickoffs in 2025. That was especially true down the stretch, which might suggest that the increased workload — he went from 180 total kicks in 13 games in 2024 to 212 in 21 games in 2025 — could have had a negative...
