Who will the New England Patriots select in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft?
Last year, New England was the third team to select a quarterback in as many picks, adding Drake Maye after the Chicago Bears took Caleb Williams at No. 1, and the Washington Commanders selected Jayden Daniels at No. 2.
Even so, citing six recent NFL mock drafts, it made sense that most have the Patriots adding to the offense, again, within the top-five selections.
Although Maye is considered a promising quarterback to build around, New England finished second-to-last in yards per game (291.9), and dead last in passing yards (2,994) last season.
What do the experts say?
Below is a breakdown of a half-dozen mock picks.
It makes sense that Will Campbell would be the most commonly predicted first-round selection for the Patriots, making up more than half of the cited mock picks. While there are many details to consider, when you strip this pick down to brass tacks, it’s simple, really.
The Patriots invested in Maye as a potential franchise quarterback, and it appears that he will live up to the hype after showing plenty of promise as a rookie despite a struggling offensive line.
So, imagine what the young passer could accomplish with improved protection.
Enter Campbell, a hulking tackle at 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds. He faced big-time edge rushers as a three-year starter in Baton Rouge. The battle-tested lineman is susceptible to inside rush at times, but he’s a quality pass blocker and may be even more skilled as a run blocker.
While New England also needs to arm Maye with weaponry on the perimeter, first thing’s first. The coaching staff needs its young quarterback upright and comfortable in the pocket. It’s why four out of the six cited mock drafts peg Campbell to the Pats.
** The mock draft via The Athletic has the Patriots selecting Campbell at No. 6 after trading down with the Raiders.
While many have Campbell pegged as the top tackle in the NFL Draft, some believe Kelvin Banks Jr. is the best bookend available.
At 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, the Longhorn is built more like an interior lineman than a tackle. Some believe he may be best suited at guard, but he remains a tackle prospect and very well could have a long career on the edge of an NFL offensive line. Through 42 starts at left tackle in Austin, Banks Jr. allowed just three sacks.
In this case, the Patriots have needs across the offensive line. Surely, if Banks Jr. were selected at No. 4, the New England coaching staff would have its collective fingers crossed for the Texas product to prove capable of playing tackle. But if he ends up at one of the guard positions, again, the Pats need to bolster the offensive line from left to right.
Hypothetically, if Banks Jr. were to be selected at No. 4 and end up an interior lineman down the line, it would be looked back at as an unfortunate reach as a top-five pick. After all, Banks Jr. doesn’t project to have a Quenton Nelson-like impact. However, considering New England’s needs, it wouldn’t be a catastrophe if Banks Jr. plays guard so long as he improves the offensive line.
Walter Football has the Titans selecting Cam Ward with the first overall pick followed by Shedeur Sanders to Cleveland at No. 2 and Travis Hunter to Giants at No. 3. (Side note: Who would’ve predicted just a few years ago that we could see two players from Colorado selected among the top three in the 2025 NFL Draft?….How times have changed…).
Despite the needs across the offensive line, putting aside the fact the Patriots need to give Maye a dynamic threat at the receiver position if Ward, Sanders and Hunter are off the board, Abdul Carter may be the most valuable player available. However, Walter Football cites a buzz at the Senior Bowl that the Patriots like the idea of adding an edge here.
He’s essentially a unanimous pick as the top edge rusher available in this year’s NFL Draft.
The Patriots finished No. 22 in total defense last season. Although many would be surprised if New England passed on propping up the offensive line or adding a dynamic pass-catcher at No. 4, we can be sure that many Patriots fans would also be thrilled to see the best edge rusher in the draft heading to New England.
