Patriots Local Draft Pick Says He's 'Ready To Work'
Boston College edge rusher Quintayvious Hutchins was sitting at home during the third day of the NFL Draft not expected to hear his phone ring. It took a while -- all the way until the 247th pick in the seventh round -- but he finally heard his name called by the end of the night.
It was the New England Patriots, the team that was hands-on at his pro day and that invited him to their own local day earlier in the month. Despite growing up in Alabama, the BC Eagle has spent five years in Massachusetts and is excited to keep it that way.
"It feels good," Hutchins told reporters on a virtual call after being selected. "I've been there, at BC, for the past five years. So, coming back to my second home, besides Alabama, it feels good. Being able to play under the coaches that were able to run our pro day, it just feels like I'm able to go in comfortably to just keep my head up and just work."
Hutchins got plenty of work done at his pro day, which also included one-on-one time with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. He grappled with the edge rusher during the workout, something Hutchins appreciated after the fact.
Now that Vrabel is his new head coach, he looks back and sees how the writing was on the wall for him.
"It's been a saying since the draft started of how, 'I'm going to be a Patriot, I'm going to be a Patriot.' So, it was shocking, but it wasn't at the same time," Hutchins said. "If I could be honest, I didn't think I was going to get a call. So, getting that call from the Patriots was like a dream come true, and hope and faith rising inside of me, knowing that I have another chance to go showcase my talent."
"You know, we try to recruit guys that are tough, that are smart, that are dependable, and I think those are the type of guys that (Vrabel) is looking for on his team," BC head coach Bill O'Brien told reporters after the pro day. "So you're hoping there a little bit of a pipeline."
The talent that Hutchins has earned him invites to both the Senior Bowl in Mobile and the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He performed well at both events, including running a 4.74-second 40-yard dash. He was one of the players brought to the New England facility for their local pro day on April 7, and will help out on both defense and special teams as a rookie.
The Patriots Liked Hutchins' ST Abilities
"You're going to see a dynamic special teams player," he said. "My career started out with special teams where it comes to kickoffs, kickoff return, punt, punt block. You're going to get a hard worker, a third down guy, also a run stopper. I feel like I have a lot of bend, explosiveness when it comes to third down, second-and-long."
For executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, the special teams impact stood out to him.
"(He) has some length, has some traits that we like," Wolf said. "Went back and watched some of the special teams when he was younger and that really stood out as well."
When he's not on the football field, Hutchins told reporters he likes to bowl, fish and work on cars. But when the pads are strapped on, he's a high-motor player who's excited to finally get a crack at the NFL.
"You're going to get an energetic, young kid that's ready to work and put one foot in the door to lead to two," he said.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Local Draft Pick Says He's 'Ready To Work'.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 5:56 PM.