Patriots make most Patriots pick of all time, draft long snapper in Round 5

When I first heard about Joe Cardona, the long snapper from Navy, my first thought was that he'd make the most obvious New England Patriots pick of all time.

I had no idea how prescient I'd be.

Cardona, who is considered one of the best long-snapping prospects in a few years (I have no idea how people judge that), was taken with the 166th pick in the 2015 draft.

It made perfect sense.

Patriots need a long snapper. They've tried out and used a few the past few seasons.

And Cardona is a Navy guy. Bill Belichick grew up learning football at Navy when his father was a coach and scout there. He's always had a soft spot for Midshipmen.

Now Belichick has another one. It's too easy.

Believe it or not, Cardona is not the highest-drafted long snapper ever. Ryan Pontbriand was at No. 142 overall by the Cleveland Browns back in 2003, although he was also a center. Actually, Jared Allen was also a fourth-round pick and was projected first as a long snapper, then as a pass rusher. The second skill turned out to be a hair better.

But when Belichick brings in Navy guys, they're typically undrafted. In fact, Cardona became the first from the school to be taken in 20 years — the last was sixth-round tight end Kevin Hickman (by the Detroit Lions in 1995), who never caught a pass in 13 career games.

Cardona figures to be the replacement for Tyler Ott, the only other long snapper on the Patriots' roster. That is, if Cardona is allowed to get a waiver to get out of his military commitment, which isn't always a guarantee with service academy players drafted into the NFL. If he's not allowed to play, the Patriots don't lose his rights and can stash him for a few years until he's free to play.

Now, you, couch draftnik, might call this a dumb pick; after all, the Patriots might have been able to sign him after the draft. But the Super Bowl champs have few pressing needs and limited roster spots, so why not? Plus, the team has hit on special-teams-only players such as Matthew Slater and Nate Ebner in recent seasons, so better than flushing a pick down the drain on some stiff who doesn't make the team.

Long snappers are people, too.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm