Mike Vrabel absent for NFL Draft as Patriots select 6 new players including Boston College defensive lineman
New England Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel was absent for day three of the NFL Draft on Saturday as the team selected 6 new players, including a linebacker from Boston College.
"We were not in contact with Mike today other than some just 'Hope everything's going OK' kind of texts early this morning," Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said.
Vrabel was attending counseling on Saturday with his family following the release of new photos with Diana Russini earlier this week. Vrabel told reporters ahead of the NFL Draft on Thursday that his previous actions "don't meet the standard that I hold myself to."
The Patriots traded down and sent their sixth-round 191st pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 196th pick and a round 7 pick. They also traded with the Minnesota Vikings, exchanging a sixth-round 198th pick for a seventh-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Patriots fifth round draft pick Karon Prunty
In the fifth round with the 171 pick, the Patriots chose Wake Forest University cornerback Karon Prunty. The 6'2", 192-pound player from Virginia played in 55 games, having started in 13 of them, had 7 interceptions, 166 tackles and 3 sacks.
"This is a place I wanted to be drafted to," Prunty said in a post-game interview. "I know TreVeyon Henderson, the running back, he's also from Virginia, played against him in high school, chopped it up with him on the visit as well. So, overall, I felt like my visit went good. I had a good time there, and I enjoyed everything about it."
Patriots 6th round draft pick Dametrious Crownover, Namdi Obiazor
The Patriots also picked up their second tackle in the sixth round with their 196th pick. They chose offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover from Texas A&M. The 319-pound, 6'7" tackle who grew up in Texas played in 46 games for the Aggies.
"I'm just dominant in the pass game, and just trying to make sure it's something I hold to a higher standard. I'm still developing in the run game and making sure I'm getting better every time I step onto the field to practice it," Crownover said.
With their 212th pick, the Patriots drafted linebacker Namdi Obiazor from Texas Christian University. The 24-year-old Minnesota native, coming in at 229 pounds and 6'3", played in 53 games for TCU, finishing with 3 interceptions, 302 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.
Obiazor explained that he had spoken to the Patriots a few times ahead of the draft and that it felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders when he got the call.
"Kind of just a good moment just to be around family and finally achieving my goal and dreams," he said.
Patriots 7th round draft picks Behren Morton, Jam Miller and more
In the seventh round with pick 234, the Patriots drafted quarterback Behren Morton from Texas Tech University. The 24-year-old Texas native stands at 6'2" and weighs around 218 pounds. He played in 42 games, completing over 62% of passes for 71 touchdowns and around 9,000 yards.
Morton also led the team to their first Big 12 Conference title in history. He told reporters that he knew Drake Maye from the Elite 11 quarterback competition.
"He is a great dude. He is a young guy that I can learn from, and obviously he had a tremendous season last year. Getting to learn from him this year and Tommy Devito; this is going to be a great opportunity for me, and I am really excited about it," Morton said.
With pick 245, the Patriots drafted running back Jam Miller from the University of Alabama. Coming in at 209 pounds and 5'10", the 22-year-old started in 43 games for the Crimson Tide, rushing 349 times for 1,596 and netting 13 touchdowns.
Boston College defensive lineman drafted by Patriots
Finally, the Patriots rounded out the draft with Boston College defensive lineman Quintayvious Hutchins. The 6'3" Alabama native weighs around 240 pounds and was named captain of the BC Eagles ahead of the 2025 season. He played in 7 of the games last season, totaling 35 tackles, two sacks, and seven quarterback hits.
Hutchins has had previous interactions with Vrabel, who hosted the team's Pro Day.
"I've been there, at BC, for the past 5 years. So, coming back to my second home, besides Alabama, it feels good. Being able to play under the coaches that were able to run our pro day, it just feels like I'm able to go in comfortably to just keep my head up and just work," Hutchins told reporters.
Hutchins said that getting drafted to the Patriots was a "dream come true."
"Yeah, well, it's been a saying since the draft started of how, 'I'm going to be a Patriot, I'm going to be a Patriot.' So, it was shocking, but it wasn't at the same time. If I could be honest, I didn't think I was going to get a call."
