The Patriots will be on the clock in about three months' time in Green Bay, making their next
biggest draft pick. They possess the overall fourth pick in the draft after their former head coach
kicked the first pick out the door with a meaningless win over a third-string Buffalo Bills team. Whatever.
Nonetheless, the Pats still hold the uber-valuable fourth pick overall, and that’s gold in a draft like 2025. The beauty of this particular draft is that aside from the top two quarterbacks, there are at least four blue-chip, seemingly “can’t miss” players. Of course, none of them are ever guaranteed to be that good.
In this draft, however, four non-QB players stand out above and beyond the rest as likely immediate NFL starters and contributors. And fortunately for Mike Vrabel and company, each of them plays a
position of need for the New England Patriots.
One is a hybrid wide receiver/cornerback, Travis Hunter; another is sack-artist Abdul Carter; a third, is the top left tackle in the entire draft, Will Campbell; and, the final one is a game-changing defensive tackle, and he’s the one who’ll be the subject here.
The Patriots need a defensive tackle, and Mason Graham is the one
Much of the hype and discussion of the likely Pats’ pick has rightly centered around the amazing Hunter, Carter, or Campbell or trading down (probably a bad idea in 2025). Yet, an under-the-radar possibility of the top-four non-quarterback best players is Mason Graham, a defensive tackle from
Michigan. So why might Graham be the Patriots’ best option?
One look at Mason Graham's highlights will tell the tale. He is a 6'3", 318-pound, one-man-wrecking crew on an interior defensive line. While his physical profile (he's bigger and probably not quite so fast) differs from that of soon-to-be Hall-of-Fame DT Aaron Donald, his on-field play certainly resembles that of the Rams' great.
Graham is a penetrating interior lineman, unblockable by any one offensive lineman. Sound familiar to Patriot Nation? It should. Think Christian Barmore and Keion White (when he's properly deployed on the interior of the defensive line). Adding a third pocket-collapsing presence like Graham to our dynamic duo is patently unfair. There will be no pockets for opposing QBs. And that is the point.
Mason Graham, paired with either Barmore (hopefully back fully healthy for the pre-season) and/or White, is a "Nightmare on Route 1" scenario for any and all NFL offensive coordinators. Graham is bigger than either and possibly even a bit faster. Deploying all three is patently unfair.
Is Mason Graham really a viable option for the Patriots?
The answer to this self-interrogatory is an emphatic "Absolutely!" Yet, do the positives of adding Graham to the Patriots' defensive line warrant foregoing one of maybe Hunter, Carter, or Campbell? It's a legitimate question with no 100 percent right answer. Let's explore that.
Then thought here is that any of the top four players mentioned would be an A+ draft pick at pick No. four for the Patriots. Getting any after trading down for more picks, is really too great to comprehend. Regardless, the Patriots cannot go wrong with any of them.
First, all are consensus top five or 10 draft picks. That is essential. You don't reach in any draft with a premium pick (rounds one - three) ever. Secondly, all are the best player available in the draft at their respective positions. We are on a roll. Third, and finally, all fall into positions of need for the New England Patriots. Any is a home run pick.
But why take Graham, whose 2024 stats, 45 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks seem modest enough? It's the pocket-disruption factor. A disrupted offense is a dysfunctional one. Graham is an ultimate disruptor.
Also, since Christian Barmore's health status is a bit uncertain, the Patriots may be thin at defensive tackle, even if Vrabel puts White there, as expected. That will likely leave the team with starters White and Godchaux, especially since backups, Daniel Ekuale and Jeremiah Pharms Jr. are free agents. Godchaux is not the answer. Graham is.
Graham not only provides cover should Barmore, unfortunately, be out for some time, but he also is a massive upgrade over Godchaux, who'll be a backup. It makes perfect sense. Additionally, Graham's addition when Barmore is fit, is an even bigger plus. Deploying Barmore, White, and Graham on the defensive line as down-linemen, creates an unblockable situation for any offense.
Mason Graham perhaps seems, or certainly may have seemed, an unlikely choice for the New England Patriots at pick No. Four in the draft. Yet, the more you think about it, you just might conclude, that it may indeed be a simply brilliant move by new Patriots' Head Coach, Mike Vrabel.