It’s not too often that a long snapper is drafted in the NFL. While the numbers are slightly skewed based on players in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s who would play other positions and also long snap, there have been, at most, 19 long snappers technically selected in the NFL draft, including two players drafted at other positions who transitioned to long snapper. So, what would’ve led the Patriots to make such a pick in the waning moments of this year’s draft? 
Tyler Schmitt (drafted in 2008) is considered the first pure long snapper to be drafted, and since him, only nine pure long snappers have been drafted from 2015 to today. Of those nine, only one is still on a team today — Blake Ferguson (2020) could make it two, but he’s still a free agent at the moment. That player was also the first of those nine, Joe Cardona, whom the Patriots selected in 2015. Cardona had been New England’s longest-tenured player and was made a team captain last year after also being made the highest-paid long snapper in the NFL.
New head coach Mike Vrabel came into New England set to overhaul the team’s roster. ESPN’s Mike Reiss puts the turnover ratio at nearly 50:50. That included the release of Cardona just a year after his big payday. Cardona has since rebounded, signing with the Dolphins just a week and a half later. To replace him, the team drafted Julian Ashby out of Vanderbilt, just one round after drafting Miami (FL) kicker Andy Borregales. With the Patriots having drafted punter Bryce Baringer two years ago, they are the only team in the NFL with three drafted specialists. But why draft Ashby?
Ashby transferred to the Commodores after four seasons at Furman. Vanderbilt special teams coach Jeff LePak saw Ashby as a true specimen. In addition to his ability to consistently snap with velocity and accuracy, at 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds, Ashby has a unique athleticism for the position that he amplifies with work ethic and a team-first approach, per LePak. His ability to consistently deliver in a way that gave the other specialists ample time to work with helped elevate the Commodores kicker and punter, as well.
While the Patriots could’ve taken their chances vying for Ashby’s signature as an undrafted free agent, having worked him out privately, Ashby worked out privately for nine other teams and took a pre-draft visit to Chicago. While there don’t seem to be any reports detailing exactly which teams were including in the nine that worked him out, one would assume that at least one of them stood between the Patriots’ 251st pick and their 257th pick, forcing them to pull the trigger early instead of making Ashby Mr. Irrelevant.
Regardless, New England landed its guy, and though, as we pointed out before, only one long snapper drafted from 2015 to now is still playing in the NFL, the fact that that long snapper was drafted by the Patriots may be a good sign for Ashby. Ashby, Borregales, and Baringer will form a young specialist trio of drafted pedigree in 2025 and, potentially, if they prove to be worth that pedigree, for several more years to come.
Pats FO is always on the cutting edge of…something.
Tyler Schmidt is definitely not the first pure long snapper to be picked
Ryan Pontbriand was drafted by the Browns in the fifth round in 2003. It’s the highest a long snapper has been drafted in the NFL. I remember coming home from church (back then the second day of the NFL draft was on Sunday), and turning on the radio (before almost everyone had a smartphone) to hear whom the Browns drafted, and when I heard that they had drafted a long snapper, I was completely bewildered. I had never heard of that before. I didn’t even know it was a specialty. I was speechless. As he always did, Butch Davis tried to justify the pick by making Pontbriand sound like a future Hall-of-Famer. I think now that other long snappers may have been drafted before 2003, but I certainly can’t name them.
Yep I am a browns fan too wont forget that pick
You as correct I believe. There has been several before.
They must be planning on having Ashby do some extra, non-long snapper type things. It would be interesting to see that evolve as a trend-having a long snapper who might contribute as a player in other ways.
They can help paint the lines…
It is the Patriots..always looking for a good ball deflater.
really? weak at best
Won’t happen the LS is too valuable that if they get hurt doing something else you are in big trouble