The New England Patriots only gave Jerod Mayo one season to turn one of the worst rosters in the league into a playoff contender, and he failed miserably in that regard. Despite being handed a terrible roster and rookie quarterback, Mayo was fired after just one season as Patriots head coach.
The 4-13 season stings extra hard when one realizes that a loss against the Buffalo Bills would have guaranteed them the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Mayo won, the draft position was ruined, and that was still not enough to save his job.
That season is officially in the past, giving the Patriots the chance to reboot. They have Drake Maye, nine figures in cap space, and a job opening that will be very attractive to many of the top coaches out there. This 2025 NFL Mock Draft will help whoever is the head coach start their Patriots career off on the right foot.
New England Patriots 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 4: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
The biggest need on this team is still offensive tackle. With Travis Hunter likely not coming to town, the Patriots will likely need to decide between a tackle like Campbell or Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr. and a wide receiver like Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan. Campbell would be the more practical selection.
Campbell projects as the type of player who can start right away and man that LT role for the next 10 years. Campbell has the athletic ability needed to handle speedy edge rushers, and he stands out as perhaps the best pass-blocking pure left tackle this class has to offer. What a gift he will be to Drake Maye.
Round 2, Pick 37: Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
New England may need to draft multiple wide receivers again this season, as Ja'Lynn Polk started off his career terribly and Javon Baker couldn't even get on the field. Ayomanor is a physical talent on the outside who saw his production limited by a largely unimpressive offense.
Ayomanor's biggest issue is a lack of quickness that can make it very difficult for him to get separation underneath. Those concerns should be largely overruled by his tremendous ability to get downfield, make catches in contested situations and bowl over inferior skinny players.
Round 3, Pick 68: Kyle Kennard, EDGE, South Carolina
The defense is not the biggest problem on this Patriots team, but it is clear that whoever ends up coaching this team needs to improve the pass rush if they have any shot of making a dent in the AFC postseason race. Kennard, recently voted SEC Defensive Player of the Year with the Gamecocks, can terrorize quarterbacks.
While he might not be the best run defender at this point, Kennard more than makes up for it with his pass rush toolbox, never-tiring motor, and speed off the edge. As it pertains to the singular goal of rushing the quarterback, Kennard can get it done with the best of them.
Round 3, Pick 79: Jake Majors, IOL, Texas
This is not the best year to need a guard or center in the NFL Draft due to the lack of depth and quality at the positions, but there are a few standouts who should continue to rise as the pre-draft process moves along. One of them is Majors, who helped keep Quinn Ewers upright this season.
Majors is a lighter player who doesn't always have the power to match up well against stronger space-eaters, but his light feet and tremendous pass protection technique make him a perfect interior player for a Patriots team that will be throwing the ball quite often next year.