The NFL will add to its annual draft buzz this year by having a host of legends and active players announce certain selections.
The league revealed in a press release Thursday — hours before Round 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville — that Round 2 selections will be announced by previous first-round picks and Round 3 selections will be announced by players who were drafted in later rounds.
Dont’a Hightower will represent the Patriots in the second round, while David Andrews will get the nod for New England in the third round.
It’s unclear which selections specifically Hightower and Andrews will announce — the Patriots own two second-round picks (Nos. 56 and 64) and three third-round picks (Nos. 73, 97 and 101) — but each certainly is deserving of representing New England based on their respective accomplishments in recent seasons.
Hightower, a Tennessee native, was selected in the first round (25th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. The linebacker has earned one Pro Bowl selection and won three Super Bowl titles in his seven seasons with New England. While Hightower has battled injuries in his career, he also has made some huge defensive plays on football’s biggest stages.
Andrews went undrafted in 2015, but he’s been New England’s starting center for the past four seasons. The Patriots rewarded Andrews with a three-year contract extension before the 2017 campaign.
