With so much focus on what the Patriots will do this offseason to improve their roster, it's unsurprising to see many analysts and fans skip over free agency and jump straight to the upcoming draft. Knowing that they have the No. 4 overall pick and who should be available when they're on the clock makes it a lot easier to predict what the new regime might do than how they'll spend the available cap space on free agents.
They are expected to have some highly talented options available when it's their turn to pick, and who that player might be has continued to change as the weeks pass. For most of the season, Colorado's CB/WR Travis Hunter was the favorite, and the most recent mock drafts have him back in that position, but others have had Penn State's EDGE Abdul Carter or LSU's left tackle Will Campbell.
All are positions of need for the Patriots, making it difficult to decide which should be the priority. However, many feel that locking down the offensive line should be treated with the utmost importance given that the team finally has their quarterback, leading many to desire a left tackle as the No. 4 pick.
It's certainly not a flashy choice, but the Patriots had a lot of struggles with the offensive line in 2024, and that cannot continue into next season. But even with that in mind, longtime coach Dante Scarnecchia believes choosing a lineman is not the right move with that high of a draft pick, making the ultimate choice a bit more confusing.
Dante Scarnecchia advises the Patriots against drafting a left tackle with fourth overall pick
The legendary offensive line coach, who is apparently not joining the Patriots for the 2025 season in an advisory role, recently spoke to Christopher Price of the Boston Globe regarding his retirement and the future of the New England team.
During the conversation, Scarnecchia mentioned hearing the buzz around the Patriots selecting a left tackle in the first round. While he knows they could use a top-quality player, he doesn't think it would be the right move at that position in the draft.
“It’s funny when you listen to talk radio — and I listen to it, just like everyone — and they say, ‘Well, we’ve got the fourth pick in this draft. Let’s go out and get an offensive tackle. And I’m going to tell you something, if there’s a guy there that you really, really want, who coincidentally happens to be an offensive tackle, and you say, ‘All right, that’s a good need, we’ll fit it,’ well, that’s fine.
But me personally, I’m kind of an old-school guy, you know? I’ve heard the saying that if I’m taking a guy with the fourth pick in the draft, I’m taking a guy who can sack the quarterback or score touchdowns. I think I would take a guy that can do those things over an offensive lineman. Now, I’m not saying don’t take one. [But] there’s a lot of good football players out there.”
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He makes a fair argument and it's not one that hasn't been discussed over the last few months, especially with rising defensive players on the board who would dramatically turnaround the Patriots' defense if picked. It's also why some have discussed trading down as the team's best option for snagging a starting left tackle.
It will make for a tough decision for Vrabel and Co., but it might come down to how they navigate free agency. If they are able to get a starting left tackle before the draft, they won't have to worry about selecting one in the early round. Or if they sign some quality pass rushers, passing on one in the first round won't be as problematic.
There are many questions that will be answered based on how they approach free agency, and that will ultimately dictate how they approach the draft. But with the new regime in Foxboro, it's even more challenging to predict how all of this will go down, so we'll have to cross our fingers they get the right guys on the roster to make the draft a bit easier.