Previewing the Patriots kicker heading into his first season in the NFL.
With Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski holding own the fort for two decades, the New England Patriots once were a bastion of stability at placekicker. Those days are long gone, however, and the team has not found consistency at the position since.
As a result, the Patriots are the only team in the NFL to draft three kickers since Gostkowski’s departure in 2020. The latest of them comes via the University of Miami, and the sixth round of this year’s draft.
Hard facts
Name: Andres Borregales
Position: Placekicker
Jersey number: 36
Opening day age: 22 (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
Experience
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 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.
Scouting report
Strengths: Having made 86 percent of his field goal attempts during his college career as well as 70 percent from beyond 50 yards, Borregales brings an impressive résumé to the NFL — and more. He is a technically advanced kicker whose smooth and repeatable motion allows him to combine accuracy and maximize his range. His leg strength should also translate to the next level, and allow him to maintain control of his kicks in more challenging conditions than he faced in the ACC. He also has vast experience on kickoffs and earned a career touchback rate of 60.5 percent on 306 attempts.
Weaknesses: Despite the right makeup, Borregales is still a somewhat unclear projection from the college to the pro level. Not only is there uncertainty about how he will hold up in New England weather, but also whether or not he can keep his success rate high with an increased workload (his 19 field goal attempts in 2024 would have ranked 32nd in the NFL). In addition, he is on the smaller side and not the most fluid overall athlete. He also found himself out of position as the last man on two kickoff return touchdowns in 2024.
2024 review
Stats: 13 games (0 starts) | 180 special teams snaps, 1 offensive snap | 19 field goal attempts, 18 field goals made (94.7%) | 62 extra point attempts, 62 extra points made (100%) | 99 kickoffs, 6,245 yards (63.1 gross yards/kickoff; 57.0 net yards/kickoff), 65 touchbacks, 1 out of bounds, 24 returns, 605 return yards (25.2 yards/return), 2 return TDs
Season recap: Making 81, 85 and 84.6 percent of his field goal tries, consistency was one of Borregales’ defining traits over his first three seasons at Miami. He still managed to take a significant leap as a senior in 2024.
Appearing in all 13 of the Hurricanes’ games as a placekicker and kickoff specialist, he split the uprights on 80 of his 81 combined kicks. Borregales was on point for all but one of his 19 field goal tries, resulting in a career-best success rate of 94.7 percent that had him ranked fourth among all FBS kickers with double-digit attempts. He also made all 62 of his extra points.
The final numbers were impressive, but they do not fully tell the story of Borregales’ 2024 campaign. It started off on the wrong foot, after all, with a 45-yard field goal miss in the season opener against Florida. From that point on, however, he was automatic and ended his college career with 18 straight FGs — including two from beyond 50 yards.
One of those provided pivotal points in a 38-34 win over Virginia Tech in late September. Borregales was called upon late in the second quarter to cut into what was then a 10-point deficit; he did so via a career-long 56-yarder as time expired.
While there were a few more bumps along the way — he was on the wrong end on two separate kickoff return touchdowns — Borregales managed to end his college career on a high note. It was therefore no surprise to see him earn first-team All-ACC honors for a second straight season and ultimately become the first kicker selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
2025 preview
Position: Kicker | Ability: Quality special teamer | Contract: Signed through 2028
What will be his role? Borregales was drafted by the Patriots to kick field goals as well as extra points and to kick the ball off, and that is precisely what he is going to do. As a consequence, he projects to play around one third of special teams in 2025.
What is his growth potential? Already an advanced player at his position, Borregales’ growth potential is tied to his ability to adapt to his new surroundings — more diverse weather, increased pressure, heavier workload, new snapper/holder/coaching setup. From a pure talent perspective, though, he has the makings of a multi-year kicker in the NFL.
Does he have positional versatility? Even though he did some punting back in high school, Borregales was exclusively used as a kicker in college and will continue on that path in New England. Being able to perform on place kicks and kickoffs, he is as versatile as he needs to be.
What is his salary cap situation? Borregales signed a four-year rookie contract shortly after the draft that comes with a $904,121 cap hit for the 2025 season. That number consists of his base salary ($840,000) and signing bonus proration ($64,121) and is currently not large enough to qualify for Top 51 status. As a result, only that fully-guaranteed bonus is counted against the Patriots’ books at the moment.
How safe is his roster spot? Borregales finds himself in a competition with fellow kicker Parker Romo, but he appears to be the clear favorite based on the five offseason practices open to the media. In those, the rookie made 19 of 20 kicks and looked to have the inside track over his more experienced teammate. His roster spot might not be etched in stone right now, but the signs point toward the 22-year-old becoming New England’s kicker choice when all is said and done.
Summary: The Patriots needed (yet another) infusion of young talent at the kicker position this offseason, and Borregales is just that. Sure, there are some questions, but that a) is the case with every rookie player, and b) does not mean he won’t prove himself a quality addition to what was an improved but at times inconsistent special teams unit in 2024.
What do you think about Andres Borregales heading into the 2025 season? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.