While punter isn’t exactly a glamorous position, the New England Patriots addressed a relatively glaring need in the sixth round on Saturday.
With the 192nd overall selection, the Patriots selected Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer to hopefully begin working toward taking over New England’s punting duties.
After an unfortunate fallout with former punter Jake Bailey that saw him suspended for the final two games of 2022, the Patriots found themselves with an inconsistent Michael Palardy down the stretch.
That left the Patriots with an unusual weakness for a team that had been pretty solid when it came to that position.
The Patriots reached an injury settlement with Bailey this offseason, who has since signed in Miami.
As for Baringer, he’s certainly a solid player. His net average of 45.5 led the nation last season and his overall numbers are comparable to some of the best players in the NFL.
What’s also interesting is that he’s worked with former Patriots kicker Shayne Graham, with Baringer going from a walk-on at MSU to being one of the best punters in the country.
Now he gets to play for a coach in Bill Belichick, who certainly has an appreciation for the position, with the only “drawback” being that he’s not a left-footed punter. That had been something Belichick had looked for in the past, but Baringer’s strong leg is something that should hopefully make up for that.
Here’s a look at some of his highlights:
And here’s the full list of 2023 Patriots Draft Picks.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
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