The New England Patriots may have suffered a frustrating loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, but that shouldn't tarnish what an amazing season it was. Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel turned one of the worst teams in the NFL into the best team in the AFC, vastly outperforming preseason expectations.
While the Patriots' aggressive moves in free agency and Vrabel's leadership were crucial in the team's journey back to the top, the impact of the 2025 draft class shouldn't be overlooked.
CBS Sports analyst Josh Edwards gave Wolf his flowers for his performance in last year's draft, ranking the Patriots' haul second among all draft classes in the NFL last season.
Patriots' 2025 draft class gets the respect it deserves from CBS Sports
After putting the Pats' class in the top two of his rankings, Edwards said, "New England's draft was a solid double into the gap. They identified multiple starters with high floors, but relatively low ceilings for a team that advanced to the Super Bowl. Henderson is one that has become an explosive producer for the Patriots. Campbell and Wilson are two big parts of a revamped offensive line. Wide receiver Kyle Williams played extensively despite being further down the depth chart."
Of course, the conversation about New England's 2025 draft class has to start at the top. Will Campbell may have struggled in the playoffs, but he has proven himself capable of holding down the Patriots' starting left tackle spot.
As he develops, he should be able to overcome some of the weaknesses he showed late in the year.
After Campbell, the Patriots found key contributors in later rounds. TreVeyon Henderson was the explosive element that this offense needed in the running game, stepping in as the perfect complement to Rhamondre Stevenson's downhill rushing style.
Kyle Williams had a limited role in New England's offense for most of the year, but he showed flashes of the dangerous speed that made him such an intriguing draft prospect. Even later in the draft, safety Craig Woodson is already looking like a steal.
Not only did the players in this draft class help the Patriots reach a Super Bowl, but they are each set to take a step forward in 2026. This class already looks good, but it has the potential to step into historic territory. Wolf put on a masterclass with this one.