The New England Patriots enter the 2025 Draft in a favorable position to land an impact player at No. 4 overall, but find themselves hoping one of the consensus top prospects — Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter — in the class falls to them.
In this scenario, the Patriots elect to address a major need by taking a big swing on potential in round one in the final mock draft of a long-time scouting expert.
Patriots Select LSU OT Will Campbell at No. 4 Overall in Recent Mock Draft
If you consider yourself an NFL Draft enthusiast, you’ve likely picked up on the trend that the New England Patriots are in the market for an offensive tackle entering this event.
While many draft pundits have linked the Patriots and LSU OT Will Campbell frequently to one another, that doesn’t mean Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network didn’t consider making Missouri OT Armand Membou the first tackle off the board by selecting him at No. 4 overall in his final mock draft.
Cummings wrote, “I would take Armand Membou, but the Patriots hosted Will Campbell on a 30 visit — not Membou. It could be a smokescreen, or it could be an indicator of interest. Either one is a top-10 talent; Campbell makes his mark with footwork, mobility, and compact power.”
Much has been made of the less than ideal arm length of Campbell potentially dropping the talented LSU prospect down the board a bit — but ultimately Cummings believes there is fire where there is smoke in this situation.
Cummings added, “Protection and playmaking on offense should both be on the menu for the New England Patriots in the 2025 NFL Draft, but protection may end up being the priority in Round 1 with Drake Maye entering a crucial sophomore campaign. The blindside must be reinforced.”
The Patriots do have a glaring need at left tackle with Drake Maye being pressured on 19.9% of his dropbacks his rookie year, which elevates the importance of providing a long-term solution at the left tackle position.
Could the Patriots Go Another Direction Than Offensive Line at No. 3 Overall?
The options available to the Patriots will depend on who the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants take over the first three picks of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Since Cam Ward is widely expected to be the first overall pick in the draft, if Shedeur Sanders does get selected with one of the next two selections, then the Patriots would likely be ecstatic to take Hunter or Carter.
If they aren’t available, then the other top options on the offensive side of the ball would consist of Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan or Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty.
The Patriots top skill position players on the roster currently consist of Rhamondre Stevenson, Stefon Diggs, and DeMario Douglas. None of which are considered elite options entering the upcoming season.
McMillan would give Drake Maye a reliable go-to option in the red zone and isolation situations while Jeanty would provide a dynamic playmaking option out of the backfield to help take some of the pressure off of Maye and the passing game.
Ultimately, a case can be made for the Patriots to go a multitude of ways on draft day to help Maye entering his second season in the league.
