With the 2025 NFL draft rapidly approaching, in this post-free agency mock draft, Patriots head honcho Mike Vrabel loads up his offense with six new players at positions of need. He also brings in a top defender at another needy position, defensive tackle.
Vrabel is keenly aware that his offense needs a major infusion of young, hungry talent, and he fills the bill in style. With the top two players in the draft, Travis Henry and Abdul Carter, off the board, Vrabel will fill an all-important offensive position with his pick at No. 4 overall.
Here's a mock draft that should thrill Patriot Nation, featuring the top players, especially on offense, that Vrabel is expected to draft. Yet, pay attention to the sole defensive player drafted high, as well. He also fills a key need and could be special.
Round 1, pick No. 4: the New England Patriots select Will Campbell, left tackle, LSU
The Patriots had two glaring offensive needs this offseason. They needed solid additions at wide receiver, and Mike Vrabel has moved to fill two of them with Pro Bowl talent and Patriots' tormentor Stefon Diggs, as well as his former Buffalo teammate Mack Hollins. Both are significant upgrades over their predecessors. If Diggs is healthy, he's a dramatic one.
The other key need, totally neglected in 2024 by the then personnel decision-making group, is the all-important left tackle position. With Hunter and Carter off the board, Vrabel wastes no time and selects the best left tackle and offensive lineman in the draft, Will Campbell of LSU.
Campbell, though he's been dogged by ludicrous suggestions about his arm-length, is the best available and will dramatically upgrade Drake Maye's pass protection over anyone who played there last season. Maye will be celebrating on draft day. Campbell is a star, a Day One starter, and he'll more than justify this lofty pick.
Pro Football Focus noted this about the best tackle in their draft,
"Campbell is an offensive lineman's offensive lineman. He approaches the position with excellent respect for what it takes to be great in the trenches: fundamentals, IQ and competitive toughness. His length and flexibility limitations might push him inside in the NFL, but this is a starting-caliber player at all five spots on the line."
Campbell's so-called "length" issue is a contrived negative for naysayers. It should be brushed aside like last fall's leaves and left for the recycling bin. Campbell is an all-player, and he'll be even more determined when he takes the field to prove the "arm-length" crowd wrong by serving up more pancakes on defensive linemen than the Pancake House.
Round 2, pick No. 38: the Patriots select Mississippi DT Walter Nolen
Vrabel's mission is to refit his lethargic offense and get ready to roll in the AFC East. Yet, he can't pass up a great opportunity to further strengthen his defense. First, after addressing his most urgent need, he makes a tactical move and trades down with Arizona to secure his third-round pick. He trades this year's 38th, 106th, and 7th picks in 2026 to the Cardinals for their 47th and 78th picks.
With the 47th pick from Arizona, he selects defensive tackle Walter Nolen from the University of Mississippi. There's no need to feel this should have been an offensive pick. The 6'4", 296-pound Nolen is a top player, also at a position of need, defensive tackle. He'll fit Vrabel's attacking profile like a glove.
Even though Vrabel added a top DT in free agency in Milton Williams, Christian Barmore's health situation remains a concern. Hopefully, he'll be fully healthy and ready to go this season. Nolen will still provide optimal rotational value and top-shelf depth. In 2024, Nolen recorded 48 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three passes defended, and two fumble recoveries across 13 games.
Here's what nfl.com says about the Rebels' tackle in their Overview on the player,
"Nolen has NFL-starting size but won’t blow you away with his physical traits. However, he gains quick advantages with his explosiveness into contact and ability to beat up blockers when singled up. He has the athletic talent to play into gaps but needs to play with better hands to keep himself clean at the point of attack. He wins as a rusher with his athleticism and play strength, and doesn’t need to be schemed for. The pass rush still requires refinement, but he already flashes quick-win moves that foreshadow good pressure and sack production as a pro. Nolen’s blend of explosiveness and playmaking talent create high upside as a three-down interior lineman."
The operative word is "explosiveness", exactly the trait that Vrabel wants for his upfield, penetrating defense. Added to Williams, Barmore, and a correctly utilized inside presence, Keion White, Nolen provides an interior defensive line group that is the stuff of nightmares for defensive coordinators who have to scheme to block them.
Round 3, pick No. 69: the Patriots select LSU's TE Mason Taylor
A key objective for the Pats in this draft is to restock the offense, both at the left tackle position and with skill players. In the third round with their own pick No. 69, the Patriots select LSU tight end Mason Taylor. Taylor will augment an aging tight end room.
The 6'5 ", 245-pound tight end (son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor) caught 55 passes for 546 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers in 2024. He's a solid addition to the Patriots' tight end room, which already features Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, both of whom are over 30.
bleacherreport.com cites Taylor's abilities,
"Taylor is a fluid mover and route runner. He wastes little movement, changing directions and breaking away from his defender. His route tempo has a veteran, savvy feel. Based on the route concept, Taylor doesn't foreshadow where he is designed to go. Instead, he uses club and swipe maneuvers to knock down the defender's hands to avoid being rerouted mid-stem...
"Taylor is a grass-finder against coverages. He has a good feel for the game and space and works through traffic to reach his landmarks on time for his quarterback. He does a good job in the shallow areas of the field off-play, where he can quickly catch the ball in the flats and turn upfield as a runner. Taylor has outstanding hands, which pair well with his ability to track the ball in flight. He makes difficult catches look routine."
Round 3, pick No. 77: the Patriots select WR Jack Bech from TCU
The Patriots needed massive upgrades to the wide receiver room. They've added Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency. After trading their 77th pick, acquired from Atlanta in the Matt Judon trade, to Tennessee for the Titans' picks No. 95 and 120, they select a tough wide receiver from TCU, Jack Bech, with pick No. 78 acquired in the Arizona trade.
The 6'1", 214-pound Bech caught 62 passes for 1034 yards and nine touchdowns for the Horned Frogs in 2024. PFF cites Bech's play at the Senior Bowl in describing his talents,
"Bech was the big winner in Mobile. Not that we didn’t already think highly of him as a top-60 player prior to the practice week, but when you consistently get open and showcase very reliable hands for three straight days, you’re getting bumped up even higher in the rankings. I’m not saying he’s going to be a first-round pick, but I very much doubt he gets out of the second round. After the Senior Bowl, his stock feels comfortable in the early-to-mid second-round range."
The operative words in his PFF write-up are "when you consistently get open". That trait has eluded Patriots receivers for the past five or six years since Julian Edelman has been out of the picture. If Beck gets open, with their much-improved offensive line, he'll be racking up lots of catches and yards for the 2025 Patriots. It's a solid pick by Vrabel in the third round after another astute trade.
Round 4, pick No. 95: the Patriots select T Ozzie Trapilo from Boston College
With his fourth-round pick, No. 95 acquired in the Tennessee trade, Vrabel goes back to the tackle well for BC's massive swing offensive tackle, Ozzie Trapilo. The 6'8", 316-pound Trapilo fills the need for help on the O-line nicely for the Patriots, who need help all over.
Consider Trapilo a better swing-backup tackle option than anyone currently on the Patriots. Additionally, he'll be a candidate to step in and start when free agent signee and veteran Morgan Moses moves on in a year or two. He'll also be an immediate plug-and-play replacement when injuries hit the 2025 tackle position as they invariably do.
Pro Football Focus lists Trapilo as one of their five Day Three sleepers to watch out for,
"Trapilo has excelled in the last two years at right tackle for the Eagles. His 83.0 pass-blocking grade in that span is the same as Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr., a projected first-round pick. Trapilo is a massive tackle at 6-foot-8 who placed in the 99th percentile of PFF’s Game Athleticism Score metric. He’s currently a projected fourth-round pick on the consensus board but could eventually become a starting tackle in the league."
Round 4, pick No. 120: the Patriots select RB DJ Giddens from Kansas State
The Patriots' running back room is adequate, but it could use an addition or two. Unless the Pats stun the NFL world and somehow draft the best RB available, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, they'll likely fill that need later on. Here, they use the 120th pick in the fourth round, obtained in the trade with Tennessee, to draft Kansas State's DJ Giddens.
The 6'1", 200-pound Giddens had a top 2024 season for the Wildcats. He gained 1,034 yards, with a 6.6-yard-per-carry average and seven touchdowns. He added 21 catches for an additional 258 yards and another score.
nfldraftbuzz.com comments on Kansas State's productive back,
"Giddens brings a dynamic rushing skillset that stands in stark contrast to his raw receiving and blocking abilities. His tape reveals a runner with exceptional vision and lateral agility who consistently creates yards through elusiveness rather than pure power or speed. Zone-blocking schemes will maximize his decision-making and one-cut ability, though his running style could translate across multiple systems with proper coaching."
Round 5, pick No. 144: the Patriots select RB R.J. Harvey from UCF
In the fifth round with pick No. 144, the Patriots further bolster their running back depth and serve notice to backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. They select the University of Central Florida's R.J. Harvey.
The 5'8", 195-pound Harvey had a big 2024 season for the Knights. He gained 1577 yards with a lofty 6.8 yard-per-carry average and a monster 22 touchdowns! Few NFL teams need TD scorers more than the New England Patriots, and the dynamic, smaller back knows how to reach the end zone. He also brings other attributes that no current Patriots back possesses.
bleacherreport.com outlines what qualities the "shifty" Knights backs will bring to the Patriots,
"Harvey is shifty and elusive as a ball carrier—with quickness and creativity, he defeats alley defenders. He strings together cuts well to sift through traffic. When rushing lanes open up, Harvey displays the burst and pop to explode through them and knife his way into the second and third levels of the defense. He makes guys miss and grasp for air like a guard crossing over defenders on the hardwood.
"Harvey is a capable pass catcher out of the backfield on a few route concepts—flats, hitches, Texas/angle, and wheel/rail routes."
There it is, a mock draft that sees the Patriots select seven quality players, six of whom will bolster their lackluster offense. They add two big tackles, including the best left tackle in the draft, a top, penetrating defensive tackle who fits Vrabel's system like a glove, a formidable wide receiver, a solid tight end, and two running backs.