The New England Patriots already have a long snapper. It’s Joe Cardona. You know, the two-time Super Bowl champ, team captain and officer in the United States Naval Reserve?

So it was a little bit of a head-scratcher to see New England use a seventh-round pick to take Vanderbilt long snapper Julian Ashby. The Patriots took Ashby with the No. 251 pick, the seventh-to-last selection in the draft.

Having a good long snapper is important. However, it’s rare to see NFL teams use draft picks to acquire one. It’s especially rare when a team has an entrenched, trusted veteran at the position.

So, the question was posed to Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf after the NFL Draft concluded: “Why did you take a long snapper?”

“Julian Ashby was a player that we liked. We felt like he was the best long snapper in the draft,” Wolf said. “Through some of the conversations that we had, we felt like he might not be someone that would be available post-draft.”

“Just, again, wanting to add some competition to the roster, we decided to pull the trigger there late,” he added.

Wolf mentioned the idea of adding “competition” at positions multiple times during his call with reporters. He did not comment on whether the addition of Ashby was a reflection of Cardona’s long-term outlook in New England.

The 32-year-old Cardona has been with the Patriots since 2015, when he was drafted in the fifth round out of Navy. Since then, he’s been a reliable presence as a long snapper.

Ashby is plenty familiar with the veteran he’ll soon be competing with in New England.

“He kind of paved the way for long snappers and has had a great career,” Ashby said after being drafted. “I’m excited to meet him and learn from him.”

Last season, Tucker Addington was in camp as a reserve long snapper. But with him now on the Texans roster, the Patriots don’t appear to have a backup option if something were to happen to Cardona.