The Patriots' 2025 draft class has been much of the focus this offseason, as many are expected to become instant starters and make a significant difference for the team as soon as this fall. Most of the conversation has, of course, surrounded first-round pick Will Campbell since he is going to become a mainstay on the offense for Drake Maye, along with two explosive playmakers in RB TreVeyon Henderson and WR Kyle Williams.
But the later round defensive picks have also gotten some hype in the months since the draft, with a few going a bit under the radar. That is apparent with fourth-round defensive tackle Joshua Farmer, who could become a fixture on the defensive line in the future.
The group needed a revamp after struggling over the last few years, so it was unsurprising to see the new regime focus heavily on the defense in round four and beyond. The problem, however, is that none of the rookies are standing out as much as they had hoped, with Farmer seemingly falling down the depth chart as training camp continues.
That's not a great sign for a player with an open door to make his way to the 2025 roster.
Joshua Farmer is noticeably struggling to overthrow veterans he's in competition with
Farmer's struggles have been detailed over the last two weeks, with the latest evaluation coming from ESPN's Mike Reiss.
The esteemed reporter expressed concerns that Farmer seemed to bypass veteran Jeremiah Pharms Jr. on the depth chart, despite being deemed a more explosive option than the returning player.
"The 6-foot-3, 312-pound Farmer has had a quieter camp, in part because he missed three practices (undisclosed) and is also working behind starters Williams, Barmore and Khyiris Tonga. In the one-on-one pass-rush drills in which he has taken part, he hasn't seemed as explosive as Jeremiah Pharms Jr., a player he'd likely be competing against for a spot on the game-day roster."
Although there is still plenty of time for Farmer to improve through training camp and the preseason, it's not a great sign to hear that he's already facing an uphill battle when the Patriots used a fourth-round pick on him.
Pharms might be the better player, and the hope is that Farmer could be, at the very least, an adequate backup if he is unable to prove he's ready to go in Week 1. While that's not necessarily a doom-and-gloom outlook, there is usually a higher hope that a mid-round pick could be a starter, and it's not looking like that for Farmer right now.
Fortunately, he joined a team with a notable coaching staff, providing him with a solid opportunity to improve his performance with the proper feedback. Whether or not he will do enough to be a starter is yet to be seen, and it will be even more impressive, at this point, if he manages to overthrow the veterans ahead of him to steal that spot for the season ahead.