The theme of this year’s draft is to surround Drake Maye with a winning roster, and this endeavor is just as important on the defensive side of the ball as it is on the offense.
In the past year, the New England Patriots have traded away Matthew Judon and Josh Uche to the Falcons and Chiefs, respectively. This, paired with Christian Barmore’s medical issues, rendered our pass rush an empty threat. Taking age into consideration, the defensive line goes no deeper than Keion White and a hopefully healthy Barmore.
This roster has holes everywhere, but edge rusher is a premium position, and this incoming class is loaded.
4 pass rushers the Patriots should have on their radar in the 2025 NFL Draft
Abdul Carter - Penn State
Carter is a 6’3” 259lb athletic demon with the best defensive versatility in the class. As a former off-ball linebacker at Penn State, he was an absolute game wrecker, especially in the blitz game. Heading into this past season, Penn State moved Carter to an on-ball edge rusher position.
A learning curve limited his ability to showcase his versatility, but there’s no question of his extreme athleticism and motor. It’s reasonable to project Carter as a day one #1 pass rusher for more than half of the teams in the NFL, and he would certainly assume that role in New England.
Sitting at #4, Carter might fall into the Patriots’ lap, which would be nothing short of an ideal situation.
Mykel Williams - Georgia
Sitting with the fourth pick, it seems New England is likely Carter-or-bust if they’re drafting an edge rusher in the top 10. Nonetheless, the 6’5” 265lb Williams could be intriguing enough to prompt a trade down from #4.
There is a strong argument to be made that Williams has the highest ceiling of the rushers in this class. Despite nagging injuries that dampened his junior season, Williams still managed to show up when it mattered. It was hard to watch a Georgia game last season and not immediately notice #13’s impact on the opposition.
Teams always wish they could’ve seen more production in college, but a big combine from Mykel Williams might just bring him into the conversation for New England.
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Mike Green - Marshall
Despite being from Marshall, as opposed to one of the usual suspects for edge rusher prospects, Mike Green is a hyper-athletic edge with loads of potential. At 6’3” 251lbs, Green has the frame of an outside rusher, and he excels at getting to the offensive tackle’s outside shoulder and collapsing the pocket. His spin move is fantastic, but he’s also very able to convert speed to power: see Mike Green bull-rushing Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
He’d be a great fit in New England, but he is a likely first-round draft pick despite being outside of the top group of players. That said, acquiring Green would require a trade-back for a king’s ransom, or a big trade-up from the 38th pick in the second round.
James Pearce Jr. - Tennessee
James Pearce Jr. is a 6’5” 243lb speed rusher with arguably the best jump in the entire class. When his full effort is on display, everyone else on the field looks like they’re moving in slow motion. That said, sometimes his motor is suboptimal, and reports of character concerns are pushing Pearce down the board for many analysts.
That said, his potential is something to watch, especially if his showing at the combine is up to par with expectations.
Despite being the favorite to be selected first heading into this season, Pearce now falls in the mix of players likely to be first-round picks, but unlikely to go in the top 5. Sitting at #4, and later at #38, Pearce will likely get scooped up somewhere in-between the two New England selections.
New England is very much in the market for an upgrade on the edge, and any of these four players deliver exactly that. For Williams, that may warrant a small trade-down and for Pearce or Green, a slightly larger trade-down. These would be fantastic options to bring in a day one contributor while also adding more assets for the rebuild.
As for Abdul Carter, if he’s available at #4, the Patriots ought to take what’s given to them.