The New England Patriots will be on the clock in roughly three months in April in Green Bay and will pick No. Four overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s a nice position to be in, though it usually (and did) signal they had a less-than-optimum previous season.
The Patriots have that pick, and they win big if they select any of the top four non-quarterbacks in the draft since they don't need one. With needs all over the offense and defense, they can't go wrong with any of these four college stars.
Let’s look at four players the Patriots can draft at pick No. Four. All are A+ picks who should make Patriot Nation ecstatic. Two are on offense, and two are on defense. “Let’s GO” and see who the best options for New England are if they keep that fourth pick overall.
The Patriots can't miss if they choose Travis Hunter or Will Campbell in Round 1
The first pick on whom the Patriots can’t go wrong is a top wide receiver in the 2025, NFL draft. The fact is, he’s also Pro Football Focus' top cornerback in this draft. If he sounds too good to be true, he probably is. It's Travis Hunter from Colorado and he was the Heisman Trophy Winner among other accolades in 2024. Let’s talk about him as a receiver.
Certainly, the New England Patriots need a major upgrade at wide receiver. Their room is devoid of top talent, and while the optimum move suggested here was to go free agency for the solution, for Hunter, you make an exception.
The former Buffalo caught 96 passes for 1458 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024. That’s a
season. He's a bona fide two-position star and a top third-down addition on both sides of the ball. You can't go wrong taking Travis Hunter.
Next up is an answer at a position that has been deficient for some time on the Patriots. Unfortunately, it is the second most important one on the entire team: the left tackle. The good news is that Will Campbell, the LSU left tackle, will be there at pick No. 4 for the Pats to take.
The Pats can’t go wrong shoring up this most critical position, and Campbell is the best choice in the 2025 draft to do so. He's Pro Football Focus' top offensive tackle. He'd be another consensus pick at a position of need for the needy Patriots.
Two potential Patriots on defense at pick No. 4
Assuming Travis Hunter (the best cornerback in the back is considered an offensive player), we can now look to the top two defensive players who may be on the board for Mike Vrabel when the Patriots pick at No. Four. The first is an athletic marvel, and Pro Football Focus' best edge in the draft. It's top pass-rusher, Penn State's Abdul Carter.
The Pats have no NFL-qualified edge rushers. There's an incontrovertible imperative to add at least two there this offseason. Why not add the best in the draft? In 2024, Carter notched 43 tackles, with 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. It is hard to argue against drafting the best player available at one of your top two positions of need. Carter is the best available.
The second player on defense who also fits the bill and is considered here an “under-the-radar” selection is Michigan's dynamic, powerhouse defensive tackle, Mason Graham. The 6’3”, 318-pound Graham is a pocket-collapsing specialist. As the others on this list are, he's also PFF's top player at his position, the interior defensive line.
As a penetrator, he’s arguably the best in the draft and may even be compared to the incomparable former Rams’ great, Aaron Donald. While bigger and no-so-fast as the amazing Donald, Graham exhibits many of the same traits that will send Donald immediately into the NFL Hall of Fame when he’s eligible.
Graham's ability to overwhelm and even pancake opposing centers with his power and technique is a nightmare scenario for any quarterback. Add to that his explosiveness, and you have a future Pro Bowler if not All-Pro.
While Graham’s stats don’t jump out at you, with only 3.5 sacks, 45 total stops, and seven tackles for loss, it shouldn't deter the Patriots. He’s a pocket-crusher and added to Christian Barmore and Keion White (correctly deployed inside), and there aren’t enough blockers to deal with this trio.
Those are four potential draftees for the Patriots at pick No. Four in the NFL draft. Should they select any of the four, Patriot Nation should be jubilant and give a shout-out to Mike Vrabel. He’ll have already scored an A+ on his first pick for the Patriots. It's a nice scenario to contemplate.