When the Patriots' owner, Robert Kraft, finally made a sound decision by hiring Mike Vrabel to run his football team, everything changed. Vrabel is an experienced NFL coach, and fortunately for Patriot Nation, it appears he's also handling personnel. That's the best news of all.
No matter who says or thinks they'll make the final personnel decisions, Vrabel is the man, and it's clear as day. In just a few weeks, he's already trimmed the roster of a bunch of highly paid underperformers and brought in better players from outside who fit his scheme like a glove.
His free agency signings all upgraded the positions they were hired to play. Offseasons are all about two things: filling in all your needed positions and improving. Vrabel has already earned an A grade so far. Yet, more needs to be done. Here, we'll examine how the 2025 NFL draft can help the Patriots have their best offseason yet.
Patriots can soar if Mike Vrabel nails the 2025 NFL Draft
Mike Vrabel should recognize that his two biggest deficiencies are at wide receiver, even after signing Stefon Diggs, and, more critically, the left tackle position. His speculation that Caedan Wallace, last year's third-round pick, a right tackle whom the Pats tried to shoehorn onto the left side (as they did with veteran right tackle Chuks Okorafor), is hopefully just "draftspeak", clouding things for other teams.
If not, and if the left tackle position isn't hit hard in the draft, this team is in trouble and likely headed for another losing season. Conversely, Vrabel knows exactly what it will take to fill in the two gaping holes on offense and accomplish a truly excellent offseason. He needs to add at least two left tackles and two wide receivers early in the draft. All four should come in the first three to four rounds.
At left tackle, there is no NFL-capable one on the current roster. Vrabel couldn't, or just didn't, fill that position in free agency. There weren't many available, but it would have made his draft a lot easier if he had. Now, he's behind the eight ball and has to fill the position either in the draft or, more unlikely, through a trade. Failure to do so will probably presage a failed 2025. The position is that important.
The left tackle position is the team's second-most important, after quarterback. Failing to protect his brilliant young quarterback, Drake Maye, is tantamount to football personnel negligence. No way he'll let that happen. Expect two LTs to be selected in the first four rounds, with the first at either pick No. 4 or, if he drafts either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter (the two top players in the draft), at pick No. 38.
Vrabel has to further augment the Patriots' shaky wide receiver room
Signing Stephon Diggs as his No. 1 receiver was a great move, provided the 31-year-old proves to be healthy. The jury's still out on that. Regardless, Vrabel needs to add talent to a room that's been a flop since Julian Edelman retired. He needs to draft two receivers in his first five picks.
If the board falls right for Vrabel, the best player in the draft, arguably at two positions, Colorado's Travis Hunter, will be available and selected at pick No. 4 to play receiver. That's good fortune, and Hunter immediately slots in as the No. 1 or No. 2 reliever, depending on Diggs' recovery. That addition would be equivalent to 75 percent of the WR objective being reached.
Alternatively, if both Hunter and Carter are off the board, Vrabel still has solid options. He can select the best left tackle in the draft, who will probably be available at pick No. 4, LSU's Will Campbell. He'll be a plug-and-play starter from Day One. That solves his most urgent problem and provides flexibility on how he can maneuver the draft thereafter.
Trading down for more premium picks (rounds one through three) could be an option at pick No. 38. Regardless, he'll still need to add two wide receivers and another left tackle to the mix in the first four rounds, in which he has five picks. Adding a depth left tackle is also suggested in those first four rounds.
Vrabel must add consensus top players available at his two greatest positions of need. If he does, he'll have secured arguably the best offseason in the Patriots' history, at least of recent vintage. He can then use his lower-round picks to fill in with the best players available, including at running back and tight end. If all this happens, the Patriots may be headed to the playoffs.