Our staff has compiled what the top ‘experts’ are predicting the New England Patriots will do in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
EXPERT: Field Yates, ESPN
LAST UPDATED: February 12, 2025
PICK: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Yates’s Analysis:
“There is a case for taking the best player available, and per my own board, that would be Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Not a bad fit. But offensive tackle is a massive need for the Patriots, and Campbell is my highest-graded player at the position in this class (No. 6 overall). He has excellent footwork to mirror opposing pass rushers screaming off the edge and the body control to absorb power and then reset his feet. New coach Mike Vrabel has stressed the importance of fixing the offensive line — and any investment that supports second-year quarterback Drake Maye should take priority. New England was 31st in pass block win rate (50.9%) and gave up the league’s fifth-most sacks (52) in 2024.”
EXPERT: Rob Rang, Fox Sports
LAST UPDATED: February 12, 2025
PICK: Mason Graham, DL Michigan
Rang’s Analysis:
“New head coach Mike Vrabel is going to prioritize physicality and nastiness. That is Graham’s game. Inserting the pro-ready Graham alongside blossoming star Keion White and the Patriots could have the makings of a dominant defensive line.”
EXPERT: Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
LAST UPDATED: February 10, 2025
PICK: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Trapasso’s Analysis:
“Campbell is the prudent selection here for the Patriots who must protect Drake Maye significantly better than they did during his rookie season.”
EXPERT: Vinny Iyer, The Sporting News
LAST UPDATED: February 10, 2025
PICK: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Iyer’s Analysis:
“The Patriots can also think about offensive line and wide receiver to help Drake Maye in Year 2, but cornerback is also a key concern for Mike Vrabel and new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, fresh from the Lions, who worked with another big corner in Terrion Arnold last year. Johnson is arguably the best pure corner in this draft, offering little, if any, coverage drop-off from Hunter with his own shutdown potential.”
EXPERT: Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports
LAST UPDATED: February 10, 2025
PICK: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Wilson’s Analysis:
“Campbell has been my OT2 throughout and while he’s not as athletic as Kelvin Banks Jr., he’s been incredibly consistent throughout his LSU career. He had his struggles with Jared Verse in ’23 (who didn’t), and the formidable South Carolina front four gave him trouble at times in the fall, but good luck finding a left tackle more reliable play in and play out than Campbell.”
EXPERT: Chad Reuter, NFL.com
LAST UPDATED: February 10, 2025
PICK: Abdul Carter, OLB, Penn State
Reuter’s Analysis:
“The Patriots land a difference-maker with the No. 4 pick. Carter’s speed and relentless nature immediately improve one of the league’s worst pass rushes, while his experience as both a hand-down and off-ball defender gives new coach Mike Vrabel flexibility up front.”
EXPERT: Josh Edwards, CBS Sports
LAST UPDATED: February 6, 2025
PICK: Abdul Carter, OLB, Penn State
Edward’s Analysis:
“Abdul Carter is likely the best prospect in this draft right now. He ended the season on a high note and fulfills a premium position in the NFL. New England has a lot of power along its front and simply getting them healthy would go a long way toward improving that unit, but they lack the juice that Carter can provide.”
EXPERT: Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
LAST UPDATED: February 3, 2025
PICK: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Zierlein’s Analysis:
“I’m not sure Campbell would be my pick here, but New England is in desperate need of help at offensive tackle. Campbell has plenty of nasty in his on-field demeanor, something Mike Vrabel will love.”
EXPERT: Phil Perry, NBC Sports Boston
LAST UPDATED: February 3, 2025
PICK: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Perry’s Analysis:
“Evaluators, for the most part, see him as a high-end corner who can moonlight at wideout. Which, for the Patriots, would have plenty of value. Hunter and Christian Gonzalez would represent one of the best corner tandems in the NFL. But the greater need in New England is at receiver. Hunter is so talented that if he focused solely on receiver, he might still be a top-of-the-draft kind of pick. Could Mike Vrabel ever convince the Heisman Trophy winner that his best path is to play receiver and moonlight on the defensive side, playing in critical sub-package situations? If so, Hunter’s body type, his ability to track the football, and his footwork at the tops of his routes makes him at times look a little like Jets star wideout Garrett Wilson. Wherever Hunter ends up playing, if he ends up in New England, he’ll bring high-end talent to a team in desperate need of that kind of juice.”
EXPERT: Eric Edholm, NFL.com
LAST UPDATED: January 30, 2025
PICK: Mason Graham, DL Michigan
Edholm’s Analysis:
“Bigger holes elsewhere, perhaps, but I suspect the Patriots address many of those in free agency and come into the draft less burdened by need. Graham feels like a foundational piece for Mike Vrabel.”
EXPERT: Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
LAST UPDATED: January 30, 2025
PICK: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Brook’s Analysis:
“New head coach Mike Vrabel’s personal experience as a two-way player could help the Patriots maximize this Heisman Trophy winner’s potential as a combo playmaker in the NFL.”
EXPERT: Danny Kelly, The Ringer
LAST UPDATED: January 29, 2025
PICK: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Kelly’s Analysis:
“The Patriots benefit here from an early quarterback run, landing the best pound-for-pound football player in the draft. Hunter is a savvy competitor who plays corner with instincts and ball skills, and he pairs perfectly on the outside with burgeoning star Christian Gonzalez. Hunter can also play an impact role on offense (though perhaps in a part-time role), giving Drake Maye some much-needed playmaking power at receiver.”
EXPERT: Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
LAST UPDATED: January 26, 2025
PICK: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Jeremiah’s Analysis:
“The Patriots must help Drake Maye on the offensive line. I see Campbell as a safe, steady player who is still improving.”
EXPERT: Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN
LAST UPDATED: January 22, 2025
PICK: Abdul Carter, OLB, Penn State
Kiper’s Analysis:
“Carter is instinctive and fast, and he seems to always be around the ball. He converted from off-ball linebacker to the edge this season and dominated to the tune of 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss. For a New England team that struggled to get pressure, Carter would be a massive addition. New coach Mike Vrabel could move him around and use his disruptive traits to improve the Patriots’ league-low sack count (28). New England also has glaring holes at receiver and on the offensive line. If Hunter is still on the board, he fits. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan makes some sense, too. And there’s a shot the Pats get an offer to trade back, which would put them in a better spot to take one of the top offensive tackles. But Carter — my No. 2 prospect — could take this defense to another level.”
EXPERT: Dane Brugler, The Athletic
LAST UPDATED: January 15, 2025
PICK: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Brugler’s Analysis:
“How we view the Patriots’ needs at the moment compared to three months from now could vary wildly, based on the cap space this organization has to address key positions in free agency. With his tracking skills and fluid catch radius, McMillan has a skill set similar to that of Tee Higgins (who shouldn’t see a minute of free agency, if the Bengals are smart).”
