The New England Patriots selection of Vanderbilt long snapper Julian Ashby with pick 251 in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft certainly raised some eyebrows within Pats Nation.
Not only was he the first snapper selected in the NFL draft since 2021, Ashby also appeared to be the heir-apparent to longtime team captain Joe Cardona. With Cardona’s eventual release from the team in late April, the 22-year-old became the de-factor starter at a position which is typically not known for turnover — especially in Foxborough.
Still, the appeal of securing a potentially-generational talent in the game’s third phase seemingly carried as much appeal for the Patriots as the chance to get younger and more athletic. In fact, Ashby’s collegiate special teams coach Jeff LePak, recently shared his thoughts on why the Pats’ rookie was the right choice for the Pats both for this season, and beyond.
"When you're working out for a third of the NFL [before the draft], you know you must be pretty good," LePak recently told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. "I knew that he was special and it was cool to see the guys in the NFL realize that as well."
Perhaps the most polarizing Patriots pick in 2025, Ashby‘s selection was not without merit. The Vanderbilt product played in all 13 games for Commodores in 2024, executing 114 snaps during the season. He also proved himself willing to engage in coverage, earning two tackles, one in each game against Kentucky and South Carolina. While the Pats would have preferred to sign Ashby as an undrafted free agent, the tangible interest shown in him by several teams led New England’s brass to believe that he would have been drafted between picks 252 and 256 — a chance they were ultimately unwilling to take.
According to LePak, Ashby’s on-field prowess is just as impressive as his resume.
"Julian throws a really, really consistent ball,” LePak said. “It's going to be a nice tight spiral and it also gets back to the punter very, very quickly, so that lowers our operation time to a point where your punter is catching it faster, so his transition to actually punting the ball gets off quicker, which gives the rush team less time to get there and try to block a punt.”
At 6’1”, 231 pounds, Ashby blends build and athleticism with impressive speed and accuracy of snaps on punts and field goals. When utilized in unison with a strong work ethic, tackling ability and a “team-first approach,” LePak believes that Ashby will pay greater dividends in New England than he did during his time at Vanderbilt.
"Julian's accuracy makes it easy for the punter on his long snaps, and easy for the holder on the short snaps,” LePak added. “We had a really good year last year field goal kicking and punting, and a lot of that was due to him. We have really good punters and kickers, but when they don't have to worry about a bad snap or misplaced snap, it makes their job so much easier."
New England’s rookies, including Ashby, are required to report to training camp by July 19, while veteran players must be in attendance by July 22. The team will conduct their practices on July 23 on the fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium.
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