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NFL draft: Michigan football OL Andrew Stueber picked by New England Patriots in Round 7

Michigan football’s right tackle Andrew Stueber, a fifth-year player who emerged as one of the better pass blockers in the country, was drafted by the New England Patriots.

The Pats chose Stueber, 6 feet 7, 325 pounds, with the No. 245 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft on Saturday in Las Vega.

He played solidly in his second season as the starter and allowed the fewest pressures of any U-M lineman with 11 (one sack), according to Pro Football Focus. He ranked ninth in the country in pass-blocking grade among offensive tackles with at least 900 snaps and seventh among players from Power Five schools. Stueber was named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches.

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Michigan offensive lineman Andrew Stueber blocks during the spring game Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Michigan offensive lineman Andrew Stueber blocks during the spring game Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Though he made 20 of his 22 collegiate starts at right tackle, Stueber is expected to be an interior lineman in the NFL. His vertical leap of 24 ½ inches ranked outside the top 40 offensive lineman at the combine, while his short shuttle time of 4.9 seconds ranked outside the top 25. He chose not to run the 40-yard dash.

Stueber took reps at guard and center during Senior Bowl week in recognition of his potential role at the next level.

Last August, former offensive coordinator Josh Gattis generated headlines when he told reporters right guard Zak Zinter was not only Michigan's best offensive lineman, but quite possibly the best offensive player on the team regardless of position.

But by the end of a season in which U-M was honored with the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line in college football, Zinter had been outplayed by Steuber, and fellow lineman Andrew Vastardis.

Contact Michael Cohen at mcohen@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football OL Andrew Stueber drafted by New England Patriots