Patriots
There seems to be a consensus forming on what the Patriots will do at No. 4.
Finally, the week of the 2025 NFL Draft has arrived.
The three-day event will commence with Round 1 on Thursday, before Rounds 2 and 3 take place on Friday. Rounds 4-7 will be held on Saturday.
Entering the week, the Patriots have nine picks over the course of the seven-round draft. They have a pick within the first six selections in each of the first five rounds as well, holding the fourth overall pick and two third-round selections.
As final preparations are being done for the draft, there seems to be a favorite on who the Patriots will select at No. 4. Let’s take a look at what mock drafts project for the Patriots in the first two rounds as the calendar turns to draft week.
Campbell has become frequently projected to be the Patriots’ selection at No. 4. Kiper and Yates are among the group to project the Patriots to select the LSU offensive tackle.
“With Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter both gone, this pick becomes all about the offensive line,” Kiper wrote. “I know a lot has been made of Campbell’s sub-33-inch arm length, but he has the footwork and pop to stick at left tackle and keep Pats quarterback Drake Maye clean.”‘
Campbell’s arm length would make him a statistical outlier if he has success playing offensive tackle in the NFL. However, he was productive as a three-year starter at LSU. He only allowed four sacks during those three seasons at left tackle, becoming a consensus All-American this past season.
Grant, meanwhile, has been featured as a first-round pick in He helped Michigan win the national title in 2023 and was named a third-team All-American this past season after recording 32 total tackles, three sacks, two fumble recoveries, and 27 pressures.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler: LSU OT Will Campbell (Round 1), Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins (Round 2)
Like Kiper and Yates, Brugler also has the Patriots drafting Campbell. As for the Patriots’ second-round selection, he has them taking Higgins to help fill their other big need on offense.
“After addressing their offensive line in Round 1, the Patriots come back and add a big, athletic wide receiver on the outside,” Brugler wrote. “A grouping of Higgins-Stefon Diggs-DeMario Douglas across the formation would be a clear upgrade over what New England was trotting out at receiver last season.”
Not many players have had a stronger process in the lead-up to the draft than Higgins. He had a strong week at the Senior Bowl before showing out at the combine. After measuring in at 6-foot-4, Higgins recorded a 4.47 40 and a 39-inch vertical. That combination of size and athleticism earned Higgins a 9.87 relative athletic score (RAS), which was the best among the receivers who competed in Indianapolis.
Higgins’s size helped him out as a boundary receiver at Iowa State last year, recording 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024.
Underdog’s Hayden Winks: LSU OT Will Campbell (Round 1), Ohio State G/OT Donovan Jackson (Round 2)
Another mock draft with the Patriots taking Campbell at No. 4. However, Winks’s mock draft has New England doubling down on its offensive line help.
Jackson would give the Patriots some versatility along the offensive line that they currently don’t have. He spent most of his career at Ohio State starting at left guard, playing the position for two-plus seasons. As the Buckeyes’ offensive line dealt with injuries, though, Jackson kicked out to left tackle. He thrived there, allowing just two sacks in nine games, per PFF. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for a third straight year as a result
Reuter deviated from what many others are projecting for the Patriots at No. 4, predicting that they’ll surprise and draft Jeanty.
“In this scenario, the Patriots take the best player on the board and meet their need at offensive tackle with picks in the second and fourth rounds,” Reuter wrote. “New head coach Mike Vrabel knows the value that a premier back can bring, having watched Derrick Henry carry his previous Titans teams to the playoffs. While Jeanty’s not as big as Henry, he has considerable power through contact and the burst to create explosive plays in the run game.”
Jeanty was one of the best players in college football last season, threatening Barry Sanders’s long-standing single-season rushing yards record. He finished the year with 2,601 rushing yards on 7.0 yards per carry and 29 touchdowns, placing second in the Heisman vote. He can also catch the ball, recording 43 receptions in 2023.
As for Conerly, he has a good deal of experience at left tackle, starting at that position for Oregon over the last two seasons. He only allowed two sacks over 28 starts at left tackle, per PFF.
CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards: Georgia EDGE Jalon Walker (Round 1), Oregon OT Josh Conerly Jr. (Round 1)
Also deviating from what others project for the Patriots, Edwards has New England trading the No. 4 pick to the New York Jets in his mock draft. As the Patriots fall down to No. 7 and pick Walker, they get a future second-round pick in the deal, according to Edwards.
Walker is viewed by many evaluators as one of the top defensive prospects in this year’s draft class. He was a standout at Georgia, where he showed off his versatility by playing off-ball linebacker in addition to being an edge rusher. He had 61 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 34 total pressures this past season.
The trade with the Jets isn’t the only deal that Edwards has the Patriots making. He has them trading up from No. 38 overall to No. 24, getting the Vikings’ first-round pick to select Conerly.
”After moving down and picking up a future Day 2 pick, as well as Jalon Walker, New England moves back into the first round for one of the remaining offensive tackles: Josh Conerly Jr. The deal to move up 14 spots will cost them a third-round pick, but it addresses the biggest remaining need on the roster,” Edwards wrote.
Just like most other mock drafts, Campbell has the Patriots drafting the LSU offensive tackle at No. 4. Campbell has the Patriots filling out another offensive need with their early second-round pick.
“Ayomanor is physical, dangerous after the catch, and gritty. He could stand to improve his hands, but he could be a solid starter,” Campbell wrote in his evaluation of Ayomanor.
Ayomanor was pretty productive at Stanford over the last two seasons. He had 62 receptions for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns in 2023, which included a game where he recorded 294 receiving yards while mostly being covered by Travis Hunter. Ayomanor had 63 receptions for 831 yards and six touchdowns this past season.
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