The New England Patriots traded up in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft on Saturday to select Maryland kicker Chad Ryland with the No. 112 pick.
In what has been a mostly defensive draft for the Patriots, the team has gone with offense with center Jake Andrews and now special teams with Ryland to kick-start Day 3.
Ryland was believed to be the second-best kicker in this year’s draft behind Michigan’s Jake Moody. He made 19 field goals out of 23 attempts with Maryland last season, along with posting a 97.5 extra point percentage.
The Patriots traded a fourth-round (No. 120) and sixth-round pick (No. 184) to the New York Jets to move up and get their kicker for the future.
Ryland should have an opportunity to work his way into the mix early and potentially take the reins from veteran Nick Folk.
