Patriots 2025 mock draft after Week 10: Latest win dramatically impacts team's picks

The Patriots are coming off a convincing win over the inconsistent Chicago Bears as Drake Maye outdueled Caleb Williams in a battle of top young quarterbacks from the 2024 draft. With that position secured, the Pats need to move aggressively to shore up positions almost everywhere else. It's not an easy task.

The good news is the Patriots are starting to move forward with Maye at the helm. Consequently, as things stand today (and they may get worse draft-wise with Maye winning games), the Pats would hold the seventh pick overall in the 2025 NFL Draft as things stand.

Whatever the Pats' draft position ultimately is, let's draft with today's situation in mind and add players who'll hopefully contribute immediately, unlike most of the 2024 draftees to-date. Other than home-run pick Maye, no one else has done much of anything thus far.

Patriots make big Round 1 trade to start the 2025 NFL Draft

When you need help everywhere and have your QB, you can afford to trade down to add assets. That's exactly what the Patriots will do in 2025 with their seventh pick overall here. The Pats trade down three spots to pick No. 10 with Carolina and pick up the Panthers' second-round pick, No. 49 in the bargain. The 10th pick keeps them in range of their top priority, an offensive left tackle.

Here the Pats get lucky and pick the top left tackle in the draft, Will Campbell from LSU. Here's what bleacherreport.com has to say about the Tigers 6'6", 313-pound tackle,

"He is an adept run blocker who can secure and create immediate displacement on angle-drive and base blocks with the body control and balance to recover, sustain and finish at a high level. He doesn't bring a ton of mass, girth or length but has very good core strength and strong hands to torque and control defenders away from the ball.

"In pass protection, Campbell is a fluid mover to the spot with excellent strike timing and hand placement to latch inside the frame of his target and efficiently transition into his anchor when rushers use power. He can expand and protect the corner against speed off of the edge while remaining balanced through the top of the quarterback's drop."

While Bleacher Report notes that Campbell could switch inside to guard, he'll stay at left tackle for the Pats. One knock against the big tackle is his relatively shorter arm length. It's an issue, but he's still a monster talent upgrade over the Pats' current tackles, that notwithstanding. He starts from Day One.

In the second round, with their own pick at 42, the Patriots take a big edge player from The Ohio State University. It's 6'5", 269-pound J.T. Tuimoloau. The big edge has five sacks and ten tackles for loss in nine games this season and fills a massive need for the Patriots, who traded both of their starting edge players, Matt Judon and Joshua Uche, this season. To say the cupboard is bare would be a gross understatement. They have no one.

Thedraftnetwork.com has this to say about the big Buckeye pass-rusher,

"J.T. Tuimoloau is a two-year starter who has become one of the best at his position in college football for the Buckeyes. A once highly-touted recruit, Tuimoloau offers an enticing physical frame to pair with great play strength at the point of attack against the run and pass. He flashes the potential to live in the opposing offense’s backfield. He is one of the tone-setters for Ryan Day’s defense and a top player on their defensive line. Tuimoloau wins with instincts and play recognition skills, paired with his great strength and size combination.

"Tuimoloau has the build of a traditional 4-3 defensive end but is effective as a standup edge rusher. Tuimoloau sets hard edges against the run to keep running backs from bouncing outside on the perimeter. "

Hopefully, this move allows the Patriots to come to their senses and play their current best edge-rusher (by default), Keion White, in his best position, inside on the D-line in a gap. Paired inside with Christian Barmore, they'll create a veritable two-man wrecking crew.

Having already taken Campbell, the Patriots double up at the position and select another of Pro Football Focus's top left tackles, Aireontae Ersery from Minnesota. Campbell was rated first in PFF's rankings and Ersery comes in at No. 4.

nfldraftbuzz.com has this to say about the 6'6", 330 pound Ersery,

"The turning point came in 2022 when Ersery locked down the left tackle position, starting 12 games and playing 775 snaps. He showed promise in pass protection, allowing only 2 sacks and 8 QB hurries. His senior season in 2023 saw increased responsibility, as he started all 13 games and increased his snap count to 841. While he maintained his sack allowance at 2, he did see an uptick in QB pressures, giving up 9 hurries and 4 hits. Despite this, Ersery's overall performance earned him All-Big Ten Second Team and AP First Team All-Big Ten honors, highlighting his emergence as one of the conference's top offensive linemen."

This is another pick that will be music to the ears of rookie phenom Drake Maye. Campbell and Ersery could both start, and improvement to the offensive line will occur immediately. It's another solid move to fortify a unit that's been as bad as it gets in the NFL in 2024.

In the third round, with their own pick, No. 73, the Pats strengthen their depth at running back by adding another bruiser in 5'10", 220-pound Tahj Brooks from Texas Tech. Brooks has 1134 yards and 10 TDs on the ground and has added 17 receptions for 99 yards to his stats this season.

thedraftnetwork.com has this to say about Brooks,

"Brooks runs hard and behind his pads with a low center of gravity. He is a strong-framed runner who powers through arm tackles and initial contact. Once Brooks breaks contain, the first defender rarely brings him down. He possesses the powerful leg drive to push the pile and be effective in short-yardage situations...

"Pass protection is a clear strength for Brooks. He quickly scans the line of scrimmage and locates defenders to keep his QB clean. He stands tall and strong before attacking a free-running defender. Brooks did not catch many passes in 2023 but ran underneath routes as a viable check-down option if the QB needed him."

Further bolstering a bare position, the Patriots use their final pick in the first three rounds, No. 86 acquired from Atlanta in the Matt Judon trade, on another edge player. It's Tyler Baron from the Miami Hurricanes. Baron has excellent size at 6'5" and 260 pounds and will nicely complement J.T. Tuimoloau as a bookend young edge rusher. Baron has 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss this season in 10 games.

nfldraftbuzz.com had these comments about Baron,

"Standing at 6'5" and weighing 260 pounds, Baron possesses an NFL-ready frame that combines length with a sturdy build. His physical tools, coupled with his experience against top-tier competition in both the SEC and ACC, have put him firmly on the radar of NFL scouts."

That's the post-Week 10, three-round Patriots' mock draft that may not be the most sizzling, but it's full of steak nonetheless. Adding two top left tackles was a must, and it's done here. Also, the edge is a huge weakness and it's bolstered, as well, with two premium picks.

In adding Brooks to the RB mix with Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, the Pats now have injury-sustaining depth at the position. But what about the wide receiver? It's a great question. The thought here is crystal clear.

The Patriots have to use their cap space to sign two free-agent wide receivers, and their top target should be Tee Higgins from Cincinnati. With Drake Maye at the helm of the offense, unlike this season, there will be no doubt in any receiver's mind that he'll have someone to get them the ball when they are open. For receivers, the Patriots should go to the free-agent market twice.

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