The NFL offseason is about to rev up into high gear. College All-Star games are approaching, and many of the top talents will showcase their talents. The 2025 draft will be a defining one for the new Patriots' tsar-in-town, Head Coach Mike Vrabel, and his personnel operation.
Free agency will also be a key to the offseason restructuring necessary with the Patriots bottom-of-the-pile roster. They have just a few stars and far too many waiver-wire-level players. That has to change.
According to sports.yahoo.com, the Patriots have the most cap space of any NFL team this offseason with $131,694,220 to spend. The thought here is that a lot of that cap money should be spent on upgrading the wide receiver room. To be kind, the team's track record in drafting WRs is poor. Free agency is the way to go there.
So conduct a full, seven-round Patriots mock draft with the Vrabel/McDaniels/ Campbell coaching team in place, using Pro Football Network's mock draft simulator. There are many holes to fill and the draft is a key place to do it.
With the fourth pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the New England Patriots select CB/WR Travis Hunter from Colorado
The board falls nicely for the Patriots as the top players who'll be on their board are all sitting there for them. They have their choice of the best edge, best left tackle, and best WR/CB in the draft available. Where do they go?
With that in mind, the Pats can't go wrong with whatever consensus top-five player they select. They make 5their move and draft arguably the best wide receiver in the draft, maybe the best cornerback, and very possibly the best player in the draft to boot.
It's Travis Hunter of Colorado, whose name is called by Commissioner Roger Goodell. Hunter is a gift to both coordinators. He can make big plays on both sides of the ball.
Travis Hunter is a multi-faceted, generational star, the Heisman Trophy winner, and Pro Football Focus' top-rated cornerback in 2025, who had four INTs and 11 passes defended in 2024. He also just happened to catch 95 passes for 1258 yards and 15 TDs. Vrabel gifts himself and both of his coordinators, Josh McDaniels and Terrell Campbell, with one pick! nfldraftbuzz.com says this about the two-positional star,
"Hunter represents a transformative talent who could revolutionize how NFL teams think about positional flexibility. His rare ability to win as both a shutdown corner and dynamic receiver presents fascinating strategic possibilities for creative coaching staffs. As a cornerback, he brings elite pattern recognition, exceptional fluidity, and ball skills that could make him one of the league's premier defenders.
His receiver background manifests in advanced route diagnosis and exceptional hands - he attacks the ball at its highest point whether playing offense or defense. Meanwhile, his receiving skillset (92/1,152/14 in 2024) offers legitimate WR1 potential, with precise route-running, natural hands, and explosive run-after-catch ability that could make him a nightmare for opposing secondaries."
In the second round, the Patriots select EDGE Princely Umanmielen from Mississippi
The Patriots' cupboard is bare at the defensive edge position. They traded their best, Matt Judon, and second-best, Joshua Uche, in 2024, leaving almost no one to play the position. Vrabel remedies that in a hurry with the Pats' second-round pick, No. 37 overall. He resists any temptation to trade down, preferring quality over quantity (a hallmark of the entire draft), and takes Princely Umanmielen from Ole Miss to man one of the edge spots.
bleacherreport.com has this to say about the Rebels' pass-rusher, who racked up 10.5 sacks in 2024,
"Princely Umanmielen will make his money in the NFL as a pass-rusher. He sets up his move well by changing speeds, using hesitation moves or selling the vertical rush to open up a lane and win inside.
"Umanmielen accelerates off the line of scrimmage well to beat offensive tackles with speed around the edge and has a good counter with a nasty inside spin move. Also, he has the change of direction and strength to turn speed to power and has shown solid cross-chop and rip moves and decent bend around the edge."
In the third round, the Patriots select T Aireontae Ersery from Minnesota
After netting the best individual player arguably in the draft in Hunter, and a solid edge rusher in Umanmielen, Mike Vrabel immediately fills another gaping hope in the Patriots roster and selects Aireonta Ersery, a massive left tackle from Minnesota. The 6'6", 330-pound Ersery will be a candidate to step right into a starting tackle position in 2025.
Here's some of what thedraftnetwork.com writes about the huge Golden Gophers' left tackle,
"Ersery presents a difficult obstacle for defenders to work around and through in the passing game. He has great arm length to create separation between him and the defender. After his punches land with good timing and placement, he can lock out and stall any forward momentum. He has a strong upper body, core, and latch strength to gain control of his defender...
"Ersery is a skilled and effective run blocker, especially on zone calls. His power step provides good momentum and force upon contact with the defender. He works lateral/horizontal blocks well, showcasing the strength to Wash defenders down the line of scrimmage—he has a nasty, finishing mentality. He will put a DL into the ground if given the chance. He blocks with aggressiveness and urgency..."
In the third round the Patriots select, DT Omarr Norman-Lott from Tennessee
the Patriots' most pressing need is defensive tackle. Their line is aging, and emerging starAfter wide receiver, edge, and left tackle, one of the most pressing needs for the Patriots is defensive tackle. Their line is aging and emerging star, Christian Barmore has unfortunately been troubled with a health issue.
Hopefully, Vrabel and Terrell Wiliams will realize that Keion White is a defensive tackle and not an edge and play him inside. That will help, but reinforcement is still a necessity. With the 77th pick in the third round obtained from Atlanta in the Matt Judon trade, the Patriots select 6'3", 315-pound DT Omar Norman-Lott from Tennessee.
bleacherreport.com comments about Norman-Lott and cites his versatility,
"Norman-Lott has potential due to his combination of size and athleticism. He can be a productive pass rusher with his movement skills, showing the quickness and twitch to develop a good pass rush arsenal if he improves his use of hands. Also, he's been an effective rusher from several different alignments, from a 1- to a 4i-technique."
In the fourth round, the Patriots select T Earnest Greene III from Georgia
Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels know the importance of having a top starting left tackle and solid depth at that critical position. In the fourth round, with their 106th pick overall, the Pats double-up at the position by adding 6'4", 320-pound left tackle Earnest Greene III from perennial ACC powerhouse Georgia.
thedraftnetwork.com cites Greene's profile,
"Earnest Greene III plays along one of the most talented offensive line units in college football that is creating a pipeline of first-round draft picks to the NFL. Focusing on Greene’s individual skill set, he is an athletic offensive tackle who wins using quickness to help leverage himself in both the run game and pass protection...
"In the run game, Greene shows best on zone runs where he can use his quick first step to get in front of defenders and beat them to a spot moving laterally...
"In pass protection, Greene's best asset is his initial quickness to either attempt to get depth or to quick-set a defender and try to stop their momentum quickly. When utilizing his quickness to get depth, he has a quick first step to force defenders to have to run the arc to get to the quarterback, which could allow the quarterback to step up in the pocket to evade the pressure..."
In the fifth round, the Patriots select RB Ollie Gordon II from Oklahoma State
In the fifth round, with their own pick, No. 143, the Patriots bolster their running back room with 6'2", 225-pound battering ram, Ollie Gordon II from Oklahoma State. Gordon will compete for carries with Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson.
bleacherreport.com notes the big back's abilities,
"Ollie Gordon is a big, strong, and physical downhill running back who thrives when blocking is executed properly.
"He blends NFL size and strength well to fit into a gap-scheme rushing offense. When Gordon can attack decisively downhill with good blocking, he will create issues for the second and third-level defenders. At full speed, he finishes runs and will set the tone early in games if given the chance. Gordon displays good balance to absorb contact and stay on his feet. He is a patient runner with good vision and allows blocks to form before springing into the open field. Gordon generates big plays in the run game when given room to operate, allowing him to build speed. When he reaches top speed, he eats up grass with his long stride.
"Gordon is a functional receiver out of the backfield with solid hands. He is a reliable check-down option in the flats and underneath. Once the football is in his hands, he gears up to top speed and runs with a violent intent."
In the seventh round, the Patriots select EDGE Collin Oliver from Oklahoma State
In the seventh round, with the 219th pick obtained from Tennessee for Nick Folk, the Patriots select 6'2", 235-pound edge Collin Oliver from Oklahoma State. Oliver was injured for most of 2024, but in his two starts, he notched a noteworthy two sacks, 15 pressures, and 11 hurries.
nfldraftbuzz.com outlines some of the pass-rushers' strengths,
"Collin Oliver is an exciting pass-rusher whose 2024 senior campaign was limited to two starts due to a foot injury. Oliver enters the draft process ranked fifth in Oklahoma State’s program history with 23.5 sacks in 43 games. Oliver was dominant in his two starts this year, totaling 15 pressures, 11 hurries, and two sacks in matchups against South Dakota State and Arkansas. At full strength, he touts an extremely intriguing pass-rush profile despite concerns surrounding his size and length to compete on early downs.
"Oliver is an explosive LB/EDGE hybrid whose athleticism and hands showcase a lofty performance ceiling within a front seven. He’s primarily aligned at middle linebacker or on the outside shoulder (5-tech) of the offensive tackle."
In the seventh round, the Patriots select G Joshua Gray from Oregon State
In the seventh round, with their own pick, No. 222, the Patriots select offensive guard Joshua Gray from Oregon State. The 6'4", 305-pound Gray will provide competition for the lackluster group of guards the Patriots rolled out in 2024.
sports.yahoo.com notes the strengths of the Beavers' guard,
"Joshua Gray has shown he has no problem being physical, whether at tackle or guard. I will add that he showed it more as a tackle in years past, but you could see as the year progressed that he was able to impose his will more down the stretch...
"Gray shows decent athleticism as a guard, allowing him to move around well enough to be schemed in different ways. He does well when asked to pull and lead block but also does a good job of using his athleticism to recover...
"Joshua Gray thrives in pass protection, but he isn’t too shabby as a run blocker either. You can tell he is more comfortable trusting his footwork, back peddling, and anchoring than trying to steamroll running lanes open."
With their final 2025 pick, the Patriots select TE Michael Gyllenborg
With pick No. 240 in the seventh round, obtained from the LA Chargers for J.C. Jackson, the Patriots add youth to their tight end room. They draft Wyoming's 6'5", 247-pound tight end, John Michael Gyllenborg. Gyllenborg caught 30 passes for 425 yards and three scores in 2024.
si.com comments on Gyllenborg's abilities,
"... Gyllenborg simply explodes off the line of scrimmage. There is no false step to his game as he glides in the open field. He is a fantastic athlete who creates mismatch nightmares all over the field. Playing both inline and in the slot predominantly, Gyllenborg gives the Cowboys a variety of ways to deploy him as well.
"What is most impressive about the game of Gyllenborg is his ability to separate from defenders. For having such little exposure to football, Gyllenborg does some of the little things extremely well (which is a positive sign for continued growth). And one of those things is his ability to use his hands subtly at the top of routes to create another cushion."
There's your latest 7-round Patriots mock draft after Mike Vrabel had added his two coordinators to the team. They filled lots of holes on the roster. They landed the draft's most exciting player, Travis Hunter, two big offensive tackles, a top pass-rushing edge, and lots more. We'll see if they follow a similar blueprint this April.