Coming off a 4-13 season, the New England Patriots needed a strong 2025 NFL Draft. Did executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and new head coach Mike Vrabel accomplish that?
After an active free agency, the Patriots stocked up on defense while also securing a top wide receiver in Stefon Diggs. The idea going into the draft was to surround Drake Maye with more protection and explosiveness on offense.
New England Patriots address top needs:
With the No. 4 overall pick, the Patriots took the best offensive lineman in Will Campbell once Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter was off the board. With the rest of the draft, Wolf and Vrabel went with finding explosive players offensively and finding more depth at key defensive positions.
Here are 3 rookies to watch for the New England Patriots:
Round 1, Pick No. 4 – Will Campbell, OT, LSU: The Patriots offensive line has been a mess the past few seasons, so there is no doubt the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft will make some sort of impact in Year 1.
In addressing their biggest need by taking Will Campbell, the Patriots should stabilize the left tackle position with the LSU product ready to step in and add some toughness to the line. Despite concerns over his arm length, Campbell has been steady if not dominant at the tackle position and has the attitude to do whatever it takes to protect his quarterback. That attitude has Drake Maye pumped up about his new left tackle.
“It gets you going, gets your juices going,” Maye said following the draft. “I think it makes you want to go out there and play football now. Pumped that we picked Will. We got a chance to meet him when he flew in Friday. Pumped to get things going. Obviously, he seems like a football player. That’s what you want around here.”
Round 2, Pick No. 38 – TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State: The Patriots surprised many with this pick, but at the same time TreVeyon Henderson makes a lot of sense for the Patriots’ offense. As an explosive playmaker, Henderson is the type of running back Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels loves calling plays for.
During his last stint with the Patriots, McDaniels had a two-headed monster in Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris. He will now have that with the combination of Stevenson and Henderson. In Henderson, the Patriots have a player who is a big play ready to happen as long as he stays healthy. What really stands out about Henderson is his ability to pass protect when he is in there. He should also help keep Stevenson’s workload down which should lead to greater results for the Patriots’ run game in all.
Round 5, Pick No. 146– Bradyn Swinson, Edge, LSU: The Patriots address much of their defensive needs in free agency, but there is something about Bradyn Swinson that will lead him to making an impact on defense in year 1. At 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, Swinson is an edge rusher who should’ve gone much higher than round 5.
With a chip on his shoulder, the LSU product has the talent to fit right into the edge rush rotation behind Harold Landry III and Keon White. Don’t be surprised if he earns more snaps as the season moves forward and ends up with 5 or more sacks in the season.