The New England Patriots have been adamant on taking the best player available at No. 4 in the 2025 NFL Draft. What if that player is Penn State’s Abdul Carter as the latest USA Today NFL Mock Draft projects?
In a perfect draft scenario for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, a generational talent like Carter at the edge rush position would a no-brainer as it is not only one of the team’s top needs in this draft, being in position to select Carter would also cap off what the team has done in free agency to transform the front seven.
While most fans would love to see Travis Hunter in a Patriots’ uniform, a player who could solve their need at wide receiver or see the team draft need by taking LSU’s Will Campbell at tackle, adding the athletic dominance of Carter to a front that now includes Milton Williams, Harold Landry and Robert Spillane to go along with Christian Barmore and Keon White would give Vrabel a solid defense to work with.
In fact, given the strength of the secondary with the addition of Carlton Davis, it could give him a top 10 defense.
NFL Mock Draft explores the idea of Abdul Carter to Patriots at No. 4
It would take a scenario where the New York Giants still select Shedeur Sanders at No. 3 and the Cleveland Browns taking Travis Hunter at No. 2 for the Patriots to have a shot at a player like Carter. But it’s a possibility and if he’s there for the taking as USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz projects, adding a game-wrecker off the edge would be monstrous for the Patriots’ defense.
In his latest mock draft, Middlehurst-Schwartz writes:
“At the annual league meeting, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said the team wouldn't be boxed in by needs and would instead focus on taking the best player available at No. 4. This scenario would certainly test his commitment to that stance. While taking a left tackle has to be in play given how problematic New England's current protection plan for Drake Maye looks, Carter would be without peer among the prospects available as a potential game-wrecker for Mike Vrabel and a defense that ranked last with just 28 sacks in 2024.”
Vrabel, who was a part of a Super Bowl winning defense in the early 2000’s and who has been known to be a defensive coach, could be the best possible coach for a player like Carter. While the talent is elite, he is a player who still needs to develop at the pass rush position as he relies on his strength and athleticism to get him to the quarterback. Vrabel can help him build more technique at the position and learn to use his hands more consistently in his pass rush to make him even more elite at the NFL level.
The Patriots will need to take an edge rusher at some point in this draft, so NFL Mocks agrees with this selection for New England. If he is not there at No. 4, the team does have an option of trading back and collecting more draft capital to take care of more needs in this draft. But if Abdul Carter is sitting there at No. 4, watch out AFC East!