MORSE: Patriots 2025 Draft Day 3 Recap and UnDrafted Free Agent Signings
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The Patriots moved down and up and down again in a busy 7 hours of the final day of the draft. Selecting a Safety with their 1st pick on Day Three was not what any Patriots fan expected.
In my analysis of the past season, I identified Free Safety as a position that has been ignored. I don’t want to see Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers or Dell Pettus try to play Free Safety. I fully expected an EDGE rusher to be taken with the 1st selection.
4 -106 Craig Woodson S Cal 4.45 40 7.06 3-cone
The Athletic “The Beast” Draft Guide by Dane Brugler had this to say:
A three-year starter at Cal, Woodson was an interchangeable safety in head coach Justin Wilcox’s 2-4-5 base scheme, playing nickel and both the field and boundary spots. He had a tough first three years in Berkeley (redshirt, COVID-19, knee injury), but he was a consistent presence over his final three seasons and got better each year, which didn’t go unnoticed by NFL scouts.
Whether playing down or on the backend, Woodson shows terrific recognition of run-pass development to smartly put himself in positions to make plays. He is at his best in short zones or split-safety alignments, where he can maintain spacing and drive on the football. Overall, Woodson doesn’t have dominant size or traits that make him jump off the film, but he is good enough in most critical categories NFL teams want at the safety position. He will be ready from day one to compete for a depth role.
The NFL Draft Buzz this to say about Woodson:
Woodson’s 40 time was tied for 5th at the Combine. He played 6 years at Cal and accumulated 246 Tackles. Started 41 of 46 games he played in. Selected 3rd Team All-ACC honors in 2024. The description of Woodson is how great a communicator he is in the secondary.
Dane Brugler’s Top 300 rank 176 – a 6th Round projection
PFF Big Board rank 167
Evan Lazar’s Top 100 N/L
5-137 Joshua Farmer DT Florida State
The Athletic “The Beast” Draft Guide by Dane Brugler had this to say:
A two-year starter at Florida State, Farmer lined up as a 2i-/three-technique in former defensive coordinator Adam Fuller’s four-man front. He showed gradual improvements over his four seasons in Tallahassee, as he embraced coaching and matured his body, finishing second on the team in pressures (26).
Farmer is a burly, power-packed lineman who can deliver pop at contact and get himself free with his active hands and short-area quickness. He can muddy things up in the run game, although his base strength shows cracks when he loses leverage, and his block recognition must continue to develop. Overall, Farmer goes through too many quiet stretches on film, but he is a force creator with his natural power as a two-gapper and promising pass-rush tools. He should step into a rotation as a rookie and has the potential of a full-time starter.
Brugler had a 3rd Round grade on Farmer.
The NFL Draft Buzz this to say about Farmer:
Dane Brugle’sr Top 300 rank 76
PFF Big Board rank 135
Evan Lazar’s Top 100 N/L
5 – 146 Bradyn Swinson EDGE LSU 6’4” 255-pounds 4.8 40
The Athletic “The Beast” Draft Guide by Dane Brugler had this to say:
A one-year starter at LSU, Swinson was a stand-up edge rusher (mostly to the boundary) in defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s 4-2-5 base scheme (100 percent of his snaps in 2024 came wide of the tackle). After accumulating 43 total pressures over his first four years in college (three with Oregon, one at LSU), he played his best football in 2024 and led the Tigers in tackles for loss (13), sacks (8.5) and pressures (59, fifth most in the FBS).
With his edge speed and flexibility, Swinson can threaten the corner. He flashes pop in his hands but will get stuck at the top of his rush too often, and his sequencing needs continued development. He is very cognizant of his role in the run fit, but he will be covered up versus power and does his best work when lined up against tight ends. Overall, Swinson is a green high-side rusher with athletic tools to threaten the edge and chase down the football. It might be tough for him to sustain three-down responsibilities until he can set a more firm edge. He is best suited for a stand-up reserve role on passing downs in a 3-4 scheme.
The NFL Draft Buzz this to say about Swinson:
Dane Brugler’s Top 300 rank 99
PFF Big Board rank 47
Evan Lazar’s Top 100 87
A great value at this point in the Draft!
6 – 182 Andres Borregales K Miami 5’11” 199-pounds
The NFL Draft Buzz this to say about Borregales:
Borregales potential materialized into production almost immediately, as he connected on 17 of 21 field goals his freshman year, including a school record-tying 55-yarder against Michigan State.
The 2024 season proved to be his masterpiece, converting 18 of 19 field goal attempts and a perfect 62 of 62 on extra points. His career-long 56-yard bomb against Virginia Tech highlighted his continued development in leg strength and accuracy. The First-Team All-ACC selection in both 2023 and 2024 cemented his status as one of college football’s premier kickers.
Kickers are not ranked in any cumulative rankings.
7-220 Marcus Bryant LT Missouri 6’7” 320-pounds 34 5/8 “ Arm Length, 83 1/8” Wingspan 4.97 40-yard dash, 26 reps of #225 on Bench Press.
That spectacular 40 time for a 6’7” 320-pound lineman was reported by Mike Reiss on X and I have independently confirmed it with my official source.
Bryant is a project, but you can’t ignore that speed. Will he make the team, probably not, but he might be signed to the Practice Squad to develop. He played 4 years at SMU and was selected 1st Team All-AAC in 2023. Transferred to Missouri for one year in the SEC. Played in 53 games with 42 starts. He was the reason that Armand Membou didn’t switch to Left Tackle. Bryant’s Relative Athletic Score was an amazing 8.96 for a 7th round pick.
Bryant revealed that the Patriots had him in for a 30 visit and they were the team that had the most interest in him.
7-251 Julian Ashby Longsnapper Vanderbilt 6’1” 220-pounds
From the Vanderbilt team website:As a Graduate (2024)
• CSC Academic All-American – He was pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering last fall and owns a 3.90 grade-point average as a graduate student.
Prior to Vandy
• Starting long snapper at Furman for three seasons
• Made 363 snaps over the past three years for the Paladins
• One of 15 finalists for the 2023 FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, given to the FCS student-athlete who excels on the playing field, in the classroom and across the community
• Three-time selection to Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and two-time member of Southern Conference All-Academic Team
• College Sports Communicators Academic All-American in 2023 and All-District selection in 2022
• Graduated from Furman with a degree in physics
This is what Lance Zurlein had to say about Ashby “Undersized but highly accurate snapper with good operation quickness in getting the ball to his punter. Ashby appears to be the best long snapper in the draft class but he might have to make an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent.”
7-257 Kobee Minor CB Memphis (Mr. Irrelevant) 5’11” 188-pounds 4.56 40-yard dash at Pro Day
I do mean Irrelevant! I knew nothing about Minor prior to him being drafted by New England. I rely on “The Beast” draft guide put together by Dane Brugler of The Athletic. I finally found him ranked #127th among the Cornerbacks. Minor played for Texas Tech for 3 years (20-22) while playing in 22 games with no starts and just 13 tackles. He transfers to Indiana for a season (23) and plays in 11 games with 9 starts, and 29 tackles. Then he goes to Memphis for his final year and starts all 11 games with 39 tackles, two sacks, and two Forced Fumbles. He was Honorable Mention All-Big 10 while at Indiana.
Minor has played both Corner and Safety and that kind of versatility is what might help him make the team.
The Patriots must really see something in him, as they were the only team to bring Kobee Minor in for a 30 Visit. He described his visit as “that family feel”.
UnDrafted Free Agents (UDFA)
The Patriots have agreed with 13 Undrafted Free Agents. We may have some additional prospects coming in on a tryout basis as well.
Wooldridge put it all together in 2024, completing 192-of-291 passes for 2,453 yards, 17 touchdowns, six interceptions and a passer rating of 101.4. As much as Wooldridge’s finesse throws are impressive, his NFL team will want to work with him on more consistent velocity. If his throws got to the receiver a split second quicker, he could be even better.
UC Davis’ all-time leader in career all-purpose yards, Larison carried the ball 284 times for 1,465 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024 and also added 62 catches for 847 yards and 6 more scores. Larison was the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the year in 2023 His UDFA deal includes $175,000 in guarantees divided between a $150,000 salary guarantee and $25,000 signing bonus. His pass catching ability is amazing for a runningback. Despite his production he did not receive a single invitation to play in a post-season showcase game. He is coming to the Patriots with a huge chip on his shoulder. He is going to be a player to watch.
Awards
– 2024 STATS Preform FCS All-American
– 2024 First Team Big Sky All-Conference
– 2023 FCS Football Central All-American First Team
– 2023 AP All-American Third Team
– 2023 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-American
– 2023 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year
– 2023 All-Big Sky Conference First Team
– 2022 All-Big Sky Conference First Team
– 2021 Hero Sports Freshman All-American
– 2021 All-Big Sky Conference Second Team (as a Returner)
The fullback position is back in New England. Lampe appeared in 42 games at NIU and was a team captain in 2024. He only touched the ball 38 times for 382 yards and 3 touchdowns in four seasons, but he played a vital role as a leader blocker in the run game.
Blankumsee started out at Toledo, but his career really took off after he transferred to Memphis in 2023. In two seasons with the Tigers, the inside receiver caught 98 passes for 1,578 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Coming off a 1,300-yard season for the Cougars, Chism turned heads at the East-West Shrine Bowl early in the draft cycle with his smooth route running ability. If you’re looking for your prototypical Josh McDaniels slot receiver, he is your guy. Pop Douglas, your job is not safe. Chism broke all of Cooper Kupp’s records at Eastern Washington.
Considered a draftable player, Dippre instead had to go to free agency to find a new home. He found one in New England, where he will compete against fellow depth tight ends Jaheim Bell and Jack Westover. He combines good size at and posted a 9.13 Relative Athletic Score in the pre-draft process.
This what Dane Brugler had to say about Dippre:
A two-year starter at Alabama, Dippre was a Y tight end in head coach Kalen DeBoer’s run-heavy, RPO-based scheme (48.4 percent of snaps inline, 29.8 percent in the slot, 17.7 percent wide in 2024). After two seasons at Maryland, he transferred to Alabama, where he was used primarily as a blocker in the Tide’s base offense (averaged 38.2 offensive snaps per game).
Comfortable with his hand on the ground, Dippre has a developed feel for blocking landmarks and can create momentum to execute lead/down blocks (zero penalties in 2024). He isn’t a zero as a pass catcher and has more talent than his stat line suggests (zero touchdown catches at Alabama), but he needs to be more consistent snapping breaks and finishing catches that require quick adjustments. Overall, Dippre doesn’t have a true distinguishing trait as a blocker or receiver, but he is good enough in both areas to have a fighting chance at a roster spot. His special teams experience will be an asset in camp. Brugler had a 5th-6th round grade on Dippre.
Over the course of six seasons at BC, Conley set the school’s all-time record with 60 in-game appearances. The big-bodied lineman, has starter experience at both right guard and right tackle.
Polk received $45k in total guarantees, $10k signing bonus to sign with the Pats. A smaller but tough Free Safety he had 69 tackles this past season in 13 games played. Transferred to Texas State from Texas A&M Commerce. The ultra confident Polk said that all he needs is a chance and his play on the field will do the talking.
A former tight end, Pene is a smaller, more athletic defensive lineman. He set personal bests with 3.5 sacks and 5.5 TFLs in his final season for the Hokies.
After appearing in 46 games with 10 starts during four seasons at Auburn, Riley transferred to FSU. An off-the-ball linebacker and experienced special teamer, added 12 more games and another start to his résumé
After starting his career at Colorado State, Crossley spent five years at SMU. Primarily used as an outside cornerback, who registered six career interceptions, he moved all over the Mustangs’ secondary
Another Buckeye added to the mix. Scott wasn’t overly productive during his Ohio State tenure but carries an athletic profile after switching from wide receiver to tight end in 2021. His best football could be ahead of him as a pass catcher. Can’t confirm he has signed a UDFA contract and may have been brought in on a tryout basis.
Minkins is an in-the-box safety who split his college career between Louisville and Cincinnati. He brings a naturally versatile skillset to New England, having played several roles in the secondary and on special teams.
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