The Patriots have a lot of important decisions to make during draft weekend, and there's no doubt every move Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel make will be critiqued, scrutinized and maybe criticized by fans and media alike. For every Travis Hunter, there are always those one or two guys in the mock drafts that make you shake your head and say, "Please, no, not this guy."
And there are a handful of those guys who are projected to go in the first round, whom New England should avoid with its coveted fourth overall pick, again, assuming the Patriots stay there and choose not to trade back.
Projected first-round picks the Patriots should avoid taking in the opening round
WR Tet McMillan
For all the talent and size McMillan has, his lack of speed is very concerning. Many wonder if he'd just be another version of N'Keal Harry. We saw how well that worked out for the Patriots.
ESPN's latest mock draft - which has the Patriots taking Hunter - has McMillan going 12th overall to the Cowboys, which is quite a reach for a guy who struggled in the 40-yard dash at the combine. McMillan is a matchup nightmare at 6'4'', but similar things were said about Harry coming out of college. At best, McMillan is a late first-round talent, and I don't see him excelling in a Josh McDaniels offense.
T Will Campbell
Do the Patriots need a left tackle? Yes. Does Campbell fit the bill to play immediately at that position? Probably not. Campbell's arm length is a concern, even though Vrabel recently spoke highly of the LSU product, leading some to believe New England may go his direction with the fourth pick.
As much as the Patriots need a quality left tackle, that would be somewhat of a reach. ESPN's latest mock draft has Campbell sliding down to the 10th pick, which the Bears occupy. New England needs a tackle ready to protect Drake Maye's blindside, and Campbell has too many questions at this point.
WR Luther Burden III
It doesn't hurt not to put another receiver on this list, given that the Patriots are probablyn't done adding to their receiver room, looking for someone to pair with Stefon Diggs on the outside. Burden, projected to be a late first-round pick or early second-round pick, would be a major reach with the fourth pick.
If he slides to the second round, or if Hunter goes within the top three, is he worth a look for the Patriots? Sure. However, consistency appears to be a slight issue, as Burden barely cracked 600 yards receiving last season after a 1,200-yard 2023. Burden is a good "after the catch" guy, but the Patriots already have plenty of those guys on their roster, and they need someone else who can stretch the field.