Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots have spent the first year-plus under head coach Mike Vrabel getting the old band back together: multiple of his former contributors with the Tennessee Titans have rejoined their former head coach in Foxborough. Among the players, the likes of A.J. Brown, Harold Landry or Kevin Byard naturally stand out.
There are others falling into the ex-Titan category as well, though. Among them is interior offensive lineman Andrew Rupcich, who reunited with Vrabel last September.
Name: Andrew Rupcich
Position: Guard/Interior offensive line
Jersey number: 67
Opening day age: 27 (4/1/1999)
Measurements: 6’6”, 325 lbs, 9 1/2” hand size, 32 7/8” arm length, 77 3/8” wingspan, 5.31s 40-yard dash, 7.95s 3-cone drill, 4.90s short shuttle, 31” vertical jump, 9’0” broad jump, 25 bench press reps, 7.76 Relative Athletic Score
NFL: Tennessee Titans (2022-24), New England Patriots (2025-) | College: Culver-Stockton (2017-21)
Playing along both the offensive and defensive lines at McHenry High School in Wonder Lake, IL, Rupcich received limited attention as a college recruit. He eventually opted to join Culver-Stockton, where he became one of the best players in the NAIA over the course of his five seasons. In total, he started all 48 games he appeared in as the Wildcats’ left tackle and was named All-American on three separate occasions.
The only NAIA invited to the 2022 Scouting Combine, Rupcich went unselected in that year’s NFL Draft but joined the Titans as a free agent shortly thereafter. Transitioning from tackle to guard, he saw no action as a rookie but appeared in 12 game with a pair of starts over the next two years. However, he left Tennessee in 2025 and joined the Patriots via their practice squad a short time later.
Strengths: Rupcich is a well put-together interior offensive lineman who offers a good package as a height/weight/length athlete. He complements his build with some impressive physicality; he is an active player at the line of scrimmage who has the leg drive and upper-body power to drive defenders off the ball. As a pass blocker, he plays with a stout anchor and is not easily pushed back. Despite his height, he uses his leverage well and generally plays with a fine level of balance; he also resets effectively when having his position challenged. In addition, he offers some versatility as a tackle-sized guard with experience both on outside and interior.
Weaknesses: Even though he has all the physical attributes of an NFL-level blocker, Rupcich’s athleticism as a whole is marginal. He lacks explosiveness out of his stance, oftentimes forcing him to start reps at a disadvantage. Accentuating the issue is the fact that his punch timing is not always on point, which is a problem especially given that a) his hand size is uninspiring as is, and b) his grip strength is uneven. Rupcich’s lateral movement and mirroring are adequate at best, creating a fine margin for error in pass protection.
Stats: N/A
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