They have obvious needs to fix with the fourth pick in the 2025 NFL draft, like left tackle and wide receiver, but the New England Patriots can instead select a “hot name” who fits what new head coach Mike Vrabel wants.
The draft riser is Georgia’s versatile edge defender Jalon Walker. He makes sense as the fourth pick for “many” reasons, according to MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian.
Thos reasons are headlined by “Having finished with the fewest sacks in the NFL last season, the Patriots pass rush needs a boost. Mike Vrabel has mandated impacting and affecting the opposing quarterback, making him uncomfortable.”
Jalon Walker Fits Mike Vrabel Template
Walker would turbocharge a changing New England pass rush, but he also has the potential to be an asset in other areas. As Guregian put it, “Walker has worked hard to go from being a pass rush specialist to an every-down defender. He’s made himself a versatile defender, much like Vrabel was when he was a player. Walker was used in various roles from edge rusher, to off-ball linebacker, to interior pass rusher to quarterback spy. He can also handle running backs and tight ends in coverage.”
Having a roving athlete on the edge who can change their defensive picture might have worked well for the Patriots in the days when Bill Belichick was still in charge. Belichick wanted flexible outside rushers able to adopt different roles, depending on personnel and situations.
Vrabel and new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams are looking for something more straightforward. Something based on a relentless front four populated by athletic players who simply line up and rush, mostly playing the run on their way to the passer.
Fortunately, Walker can adapt to this brand of defense. As Jared Feinberg of The Panthers Wire revealed, Walker “seems more natural rushing off the edge. Explosive, violent, and effective pressure maker w/ good edge setting ability.”
This is why I like Jalon Walker at EDGE more at linebacker. He seems more natural rushing off the edge. Explosive, violent, and effective pressure maker w/ good edge setting ability.
One of my favorite reps. Flash the inside hand and dip under to get to the QB.
Plays like this make Walker look like a more dynamic version of Patriots incumbent Keion White. The latter has yet to fully reach his breakout potential, even if the new scheme should tap more into his strengths.
White’s presence, along with the addition of Vrabel favorite Harold Landry III in free agency gives the Pats bookend edge-rushers. While there is room for a more consistently disruptive force like Walker, Vrabel and general manager Eliot Wolf have other needs they didn’t address on the veteran market.
Patriots Have Other Priorities in the First Round
There’s still a gaping hole at left tackle arguably the most important position on the team after quarterback. Protecting second-year signal-caller Drake Maye will be key to Vrabel’s rebuild, so the Patriots can’t come out of this draft without a marquee reinforcement for the offensive line.
Finding help will be easy when this class isn’t short of quality tackles. The best prospects at the position include somebody whose physical fit has been hotly debated during the pre-draft process, but Vrabel is unmoved by the concerns.
Snagging a top blindside protector would do Maye a lot of favors, but so would selecting a top-notch wide receiver. That need means the Patriots would find it very hard to ignore Travis Hunter if the Colorado two-way star is still available to be taken fourth overall.
It would surely be a similar story if Penn State edge Abdul Carter gets by the New York Giants at No. 3. He boasts the same versatility as Walker, but with far greater production.
Walker fits a lot of what the Patriots used to do on defense and want to do moving forward, but there are more high-profile options in the top four.
