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With pick 251 in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Julian Ashby, long snapper out of Vanderbilt.
The Pats acquired the selection by making a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for the Pats pick at 228. New England also acquired Kansas City’s pick at 257.
Ashby played in all 13 games for Vanderbilt in 2024. He executed 114 snaps during the season. He also proved himself in afraid to engage in coverage, earning two tackles, one in each game against Kentucky and South Carolina.
Ashby’s selection comes as a bit of a surprise, as Joe Cardona has been New England’s long snapper since 2015. That year, Cardona was selected in the fifth round — 166 overall — and was only the fourth player designated as a long snapper ever to be drafted, and the second highest-drafted long snapper in NFL history. Ashby now becomes the fifth.
The Patriots opened day three by adding California safety Craig Woodson with pick 106 in the fourth round. The Pats then traded both picks 144 and 238 to the Seattle Seahawks to secure the services of Florida State defensive tackle Joshua Farmer at number 137. From there, the team selected LSU edge rusher Bradyn Swinson at146, kicker Andres Borregales at 182, and offensive tackle Marcus Bryant at number 220.
New England previously selected LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell from LSU with the fourth overall selection. They also chose Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson at number 38 overall, receiver Kyle Williams from Washington State at pick 68, and center Jared Wilson from Georgia with pick number 95 overall.
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Brother of former Michigan, Alabama cornerback earns coveted fifth star
In the world of high school football, earning a coveted fifth star is a huge deal. It signifies being a truly elite talent and brings all the big-name schools into the mix. Earning that fifth star and being labeled an "athlete" is even more appealing to major programs. A player with the athlete label can play multiple positions and is essentially a versatile football player. Xavier Sabb of Glassboro HS (NJ) just received that coveted fifth star and is now ranked as the 14th overall recruit in the nation. Xavier is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound versatile player who has played defensive back, running back, safety, cornerback, and even taken snaps at quarterback, where he used his speed and elusiveness in a "Wildcat" type of setup. Xavier also comes from a bloodline of talent, as his older brother Keon started his career in Ann Arbor, winning the 2023 National Championship with the Wolverines. Following that championship season, Keon surprised many people and transferred to Alabama, where he has continued to excel. Both Keon's current and former teams are in hot pursuit of his younger brother's talents. This recruitment feels like one that will drag out for quite a bit, and the younger Sabb may not commit until closer to the 2027 Signing Day. Whatever team lands Xavier is going ot get a player that can make a difference in a variety of ways and may not find his true postion until he reaches his program of choice.
Yankees add needed infielder in trade with Nationals
The New York Yankees had been on the search for a right-handed hitting infielder. They found their man late Saturday night. Jack Curry from YES Network reported that the Yankees acquired infielder Amed Rosario from the Nationals. In exchange, the Yankees are sending pitcher Clayton Beeter and minor league outfielder Browm Martinez to Washington. The Yankees had been looking for a right-handed hitting infielder in the wake of acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon on Friday. Rosario is exactly the type of player the Yankees had sought - a solid option capable of playing second and third. He had posted a .270/.310/.426 batting line in 158 plate appearances entering Saturday, hitting five homers and eight doubles. Rosario's greatest attribute for the Yankees is his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He has a .299/.333/.483 batting line in 99 plate appearances against lefties this season, with three homers and seven doubles. He and McMahon should form a solid platoon at the hot corner in New York. However, the Yankees paid a steep price to bring Rosario on board for the next several months. Beeter had been ranked as the Yankees' 20th-best prospect per MLB.com, with his upper-90s fastball and wipeout slider both considered plus offerings. He has operated strictly as a reliever this season, where both his ability to miss bats and questionable command have been apparent. Martinez had been considered a player to watch heading into the season by FanGraphs, citing his solid contact rates and projectability. The 18-year-old is years away from making an impact, but has posted an impressive .404/.507/.632 batting line in 69 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League, hitting three homers and four doubles while stealing 13 bases. His ability to make contact has been impressive, as Martinez has drawn six walks with just eight strikeouts this season. A promotion stateside could be in the cards before the end of the year.
Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should absolutely see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Aaron Rodgers had the worst possible start to Steelers camp
Aaron Rodgers made his practice debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, and it was not necessarily a moment he will want to remember. Rodgers’ very first pass was intercepted by linebacker Patrick Queen. The quarterback was trying to find top target DK Metcalf on a curl route, but was not quite accurate enough. Rodgers will not lose any sleep over this. It is not the first interception he has thrown in a practice session and it will not be the last. It did make for some amusing viewing for critics, though, and even some Steelers fans got a chuckle out of it. The Steelers are hoping Rodgers can lift them to at least a playoff win in 2025. If he succeeds, he is in line for a pretty big payday, and might even be able to go out on a high note if this is in fact his final NFL season. The other bright side to Rodgers’ inauspicious start to his Pittsburgh career? It will probably make Giants rookie Jaxson Dart feel a little bit better about his own first pass.
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