For the second straight season the New England Patriots are going into the year with a new head coach. After firing Jerod Mayo, the team brought in another familiar face in Mike Vrabel, who was an All-Pro linebacker for the Patriots in 2007.
Drake Maye has shown he has all the tools to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL, he just needs help around him to reach that full potential.
Patriots set their priority early in 2025 NFL Draft
The priority in this draft should be to protect their second-year quarterback and add a weapon for Maye to utilize in the passing game.
The Patriots are likely going to be the first team to take an offensive lineman, which makes Will Campbell the perfect fit. He has consistently proven to be a dominant tackle with great technique, and even at one point had a 24 game streak without allowing a sack. He will slide into the Patriots starting lineup and be a day one starter.
Luther Burden has the talent to be a Day 1 pick, however there are some concerns that he doesn't show full effort on every play. This could lead to him falling into the second round. If there is a team that should take a gamble on him it is without a doubt the Patriots. They are in need of another playmaker, and Burden’s ability to run after the catch might be the best in the draft. He can be an immediate impact player that has the versatility to be used in a bunch of different ways.
The loss of Matthew Judon was very noticeable as the Patriots had 28 sacks as a team last season, which was last in the league. Kennard is a pass rushing specialist that had 11.5 sacks for South Carolina this season. The reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year might be a little old for a prospect but his production speaks for itself and could improve the Patriots pass rushing problems instantly.
RJ Harvey has had back-to-back elite statistical seasons with a combined 2.993 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns in that span. Rhamondre Stevenson is coming off a rough year where he fumbled 7 times, so it would make sense for the Patriots to try and add to the running back room. Drafting Harvey would add another layer of speed to this offense and take some of the pressure off of Drake Maye.