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Ebner

Ebner was a mainstay of New England’s special teams units before following Giants coach Joe Judge to New York. He appeared in all 16 games for them last year and his release earlier in the offseason was primarily done to give the Giants an extra roster spot while he recovered from surgery. Now fully healthy, Ebner figures to resume his expansive special teams role for New York.

Ebner has close ties to coach Joe Judge, who brought Ebner with him from New England last season. The core special teamer should be re-signed before training camp.

Ebner played 111 games with the Patriots from 2012 to 2019, racking up 95 tackles along the way while consistently providing top-tier play on special teams. He’s a familiar addition for head coach Joe Judge, who was the Patriots’ special teams coordinator from 2015-2019.

A former rugby player and walk-on, Ebner played almost exclusively special teams for the Buckeyes, but put himself on the draft radar with a strong workout at Ohio State’s Pro Day. Ebner is obviously extremely raw, but is likely being drafted with an eye toward being a special-teams ace. He’s the kind of player who could catch and keep Bill Belichick’s attention.

Ebner is a 6-foot, 205-pound rugby player, but the Pats want him to be a special teams dynamo. “He can run through traffic without losing speed,” explained Vrabel. “Guys that cover kicks and maintain their speed in traffic are what you’re looking for.” Ebner plans to return to rugby if his football career fails.

Ebner won’t play on defense, but the Pats hope to turn him into an impact special teamer. A former rugby player, Ebner’s best asset is his ability to run down kicks. If his NFL career falls through, Ebner intends to return to rugby.

Ebner was sidelined by an undisclosed injury after passing his initial camp physical. The missed time doesn’t bode well for a player on the roster bubble, but Ebner should be given every opportunity to shine on special teams in the preseason.

Team USA didn’t get a medal, but Ebner called it a “once in a lifetime amazing experience.” A core special teamer since 2012, Ebner played 47 snaps on defense last season.

Ebner was a standout as a junior rugby player, earning team MVP honors multiple times on the world stage. He took a leave of absence from the Patriots in May to chase his dream of competing in the Olympics. The rugby competition ends on August 11, so Ebner should rejoin the Pats by mid-August at the latest.

A productive gunner but not much of a defensive presence, 27-year-old Ebner finished third on the Patriots in special teams tackles (11) last season.