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On the third day of 2020 NFL draft, the New England Patriots selected Marshall kicker Justin Rohrwasser with the 159th overall pick. The need was apparent after the team released Stephen Gostkowski earlier this offseason. This will be the first year the Patriots enter the season with a new kicker since Gostkowski’s rookie year in 2006.
Rohrwasser is the first Marshall kicker to be drafted in NFL history and hopes to make his alma mater proud at the next level. He is the first Marshall player drafted by New England since wide receiver Aaron Dobson was selected in the second round of 2013.
Here’s what Patriots fans should know about their new placekicker.
Rohrwasser was a great extra point kicker in college.
At Marshall. Rohrwasser hit 79 of 82 of his extra-point attempts in his two seasons with Marshall. It is a little different transitioning to the NFL because of the distance of the kicks. The college extra-points were similar to the old NFL rules. They attempt from 20 yards at the college level, and in the pros, the attempt is now 33 yards out. The Patriots will hope that the extra distance isn’t too much for the kicker to overcome.