Patriots Draft Profile: Is Brett Thorson The Punting Answer?

Bryce Baringer didn't have the greatest seasons punting the ball for the New England Patriots in 2025. After two years of booting the ball and flipping fields, the former Michigan State draft pick left a lot to be desired last season. Now with Baringer entering a contract season, do the Patriots try and find a new punter in next month's NFL Draft?

Enter: Georgia's Brett Thorson, widely regarded as the top punter in this year's class.

The winner of the Ray Guy Award (given to the nation's best punter) in 2025, and a finalist of the award one year prior, the two-time All-American was invited to the NFL Combine this past offseason and wowed teams with his strong leg. The Australia native reguarly pins teams inside their own 10-yard line and can change the game with one swing of his right leg.

In his college career, Thorson punted the ball 156 times for 7,115 yards. His longest punt went 75 yards and he averaged 45.6 yards per punt. Though he's still adjusting the NFL-sized fields coming from Australia, he's continued to get better through the draft process, which included a stop at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

The one knock on Thorson is that he just turned 26. Baringer will turn 27 next month, so while the team would get younger at the positon, it wouldn't be by much.

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs punter Brett Thorson (92) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Is Punter Actually A Need For Patriots?

The Patriots are stocked with 11 draft picks in next month's draft, and it's safe to imagine that drafting a punter might not be too high on the Patriots' list of needs. But it's typically not common for punters to enter free agency in the NFL -- they tend to either get contract extensions or released after teams bring in a new leg to compete.

When the Patriots drafted Jake Bailey, he beat out incumbent Ryan Allen following Super Bowl LIII. Baringer won the job in 2023 after Bailey was cut that offseason.

Thorson is expected to be the first punter off the board when the draft rolls around, and some draft experts project that he could be taken as high as the fourth round. Specialists, especially good ones like Thorson, don't usually last long on day three of the draft.

Last season, New England spent a sixth round pick on Miami kicker Andy Borregales and a seventh round pick on Vanderbilt long snapper Julian Ashby.

It could be possible that Mike Vrabel, Jeremy Springer and New England continues the injection of youth at special teams and brings in a new face to punt the ball in 2026.

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