Patriots stun the AFC East with an electric post-Week 14, 5-round Mock Draft

After their bye week, the Patriots are now ranked third overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, the same position they enjoyed in the 2024 draft. That's the silver lining in an otherwise dismal campaign. Yet, there is justifiable hope now that the Pats have seemingly landed the most important cog in the wheel, their quarterback in the person of Drake Maye.

It's incumbent upon whoever holds the keys to the Patriots' personnel operation this offseason to get a lot right, something Eliot Wolf and company didn't do in the 2024 offseason. Good teams are built in the offseason. Then, absent catastrophic injuries, the games just play out what's been pre-determined.

So as Tom Brady was wont to say, "LET'S GO!" and roll out a 5-round mock draft using profootball.com's mock draft simulator that will set in place the foundations, along with some great free agency signings, for this Patriots team to get right back in the AFC East race.

In the first round, with Pick No. 3, the New England Patriots ...

When Commissioner Roger Goodell utters those words, Patriot Nation will hold its collective breath in anticipation. Will they take the correct position? The right player? Will they trade down? Or will they mess up this golden opportunity?

With no opportunities to trade down and still get their man, an obvious choice, the Patriots hand their card to Commissioner Goodell, who calls the name of the 2025 draft's best offensive left tackle, Will Campbell of LSU. If there's any disappointment in Patriot Nation there shouldn't be.

By some fluke (and the owner's urging, most likely), they did the right thing in 2024 and got their present and future quarterback, Drake Maye. For any NFL team, that's Job One, and they got that right. Now they move without any equivocation and take the second most important position on the field, the left tackle (if you have a right-handed QB). Campbell is a Day One starter on the left side.

bleacherreport.com has this to say in their scouting report,

"Campbell is a smooth operator with a polished, well-rounded skill set and a natural feel for the position due to very good footwork, hand placement, play strength, and competitive toughness. 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..."

It's the right position and the right player at the right time for the Patriots. They have locked up the team's second most critical position in style with their first pick. It's an A+ selection and a great start to the 2025 draft festivities. We move on.

In the second round, the Patriots select ...

In the second round, again with their own pick, No. 40, with no satisfactory trades available, the Pats hold firm and draft Princely Umanmielen, a 6'4", 260-pound edge from Mississippi. Edge is a position that needs heavy reinforcement.

Having traded their two best edge players in 2024, Matt Judon And Joshua Uche, the Patriots needed to act early to bolster the edge, specifically their pass rush. Umanmielen fits the bill. He's notched 10.5 sacks in 11 games (reminiscent of Judon) and logged 13 total tackles for loss and a forced fumble. The Patriots needed a top pass-rusher, and Umanmielen should start from Day One.

nfldraftbuzz.com has this to say about the Ole Miss star,

"Princely Umanmielen showcases a solid blend of explosiveness and flexibility, ideal for an edge rusher. His quick first step and ability to dip and bend around the corner put consistent pressure on quarterbacks. Umanmielen's array of pass-rush moves, including a spin move and bull rush, make him a versatile threat off the edge."

In the third round, the Patriots select defensive tackle, T.J. Sanders

Defensive tackle is a position in transition for the Patriots. Two D-linemen, tackle Daniel Ekuale and end Deatrich Wise Jr., are free agents. Neither should be re-signed. The future at D-tackle is strong, pocket-collapsing mobile players. With their own pick, No. 71, in the third round, the Patriots select another one, T. J. Sanders of South Carolina. At 6'4" and 290 pounds, he fits the physical profile. He had a solid 48 stops with four sacks and a pass-defended in 2024 for the Gamecocks.

Massive run-stuffers like Davon Godchaux are dinosaurs. He'll only be around because his contract for 2025 essentially prohibits his being released. If the Pats can trade him and get out from under his massive cap hit, then, by all means, do so. It's a no-brainer. But don't bet on it. Other NFL teams aren't that "ignorant."

Sanders will fit in nicely as a backup to the two top defensive tackles on the unit, pocket eliminators Christian Barmore and Keion White. White has played a lot of edge, but it's not his best position. In 2025, they'll have other options and he should move inside. Sanders should be the third man in. Adding him to Barmore and White is the stuff that nightmares are made of for NFL defensive coordinators.

yardbarker.com notes the big tackle's strengths,

"In what is an incredibly deep and talented interior defensive lineman class for the 2025 NFL Draftclass, there aren’t many who are more athletically gifted than Sanders. He is smooth, explosive, and versatile. When he’s at his best, Sanders is at attack-style player who makes a ton of plays behind the line of scrimmage. "

In the third round, the Pats select Miami wide receiver, Xavier Restrepo

The Patriots receiver corps is to be kind, not good enough. This entire draft is predicated on the fact that the Patriots will add one or two veteran NFL-quality receivers (say hello Tee Higgins!) to the roster in free agency. Not doing so would be akin to personnel negligence.

That being said, adding an explosive and very productive young wideout still makes perfect sense. With the 78th pick acquired from Atlanta in the Matt Judon trade, the Patriots select Miami's Xavier Restrepo. While only 5'10" and 195, Restrepo's 2024 stats are impressive.

He caught 69 passes for 1,127 yards and 11 TDs for the Hurricanes this season. His 16.3 average yards per catch is an asset that the Patriots can sorely use. the 33rdteam.com has this to say about the Hurricane whirlwind,

"Restrepo is a football player to his core. He’s tough, feisty, plays bigger than he is, and has great instincts. This isn’t a receiver who will blow you away with his physical skill set, but he achieves the two most important roles for a player at his position: he gets open and catches the football.

"Restrepo is likely to be confined to the slot in the NFL, but his toughness and reliable hands make him a viable option as a productive role player for an NFL offense. "

The Patriots trade their fourth-round pick, No. 107 to the Arizona Cardinals for the 114th and 166th picks

Finally, after staying put the entire draft, the Patriots get a nice offer to pick up another fifth-round pick and they trade their pick No. 107 to the Arizona Cardinals for picks No. 114 in the fourth round and 166 in the fifth.

The Patriots with fourth-round pick No. 114 acquired from Arizona, go back to the left tackle well and select mammoth offensive tackle, Anthony Belton from North Carolina State. A seasoned left tackle in the ACC, the 6'6", 336-pound Belton adds solid depth to the Pats' tackle position. This pick continues to rectify the 2024 offseason's greatest error, not bringing in any left tackles.

Here's what thedraftnetwork.com has to say about the massive Wolfpack left tackle,

"In pass pro, Belton’s size is a nightmare to work around. Combine his overall mass and footwork and pass rushers have a tough time working around his 6-foot-7 frame. He showcases quick feet at the snap and can redirect rapidly. Can work deep around the arc to counter his outside shoulder only to put his foot in the dirt to work up in his set. Does a nice job of establishing his hands and controlling reps early in the play. Does not overextend to force contact. Rather, he invites contact and will shoot his hands at varying times to keep pass rushers off balance. 

"As a run blocker, although Belton’s mass suggests he would overpower opponents, it’s a part of his evaluation that remains fluid."

In the fifth round, with pick No. 143, the Pats select an elusive running back

With their own 143rd pick in the fifth round, the Patriots add depth to their running back room and select Kansas State's elusive DJ Giddens. Giddens is a highly productive 6'1", 200-pound runner who's racked up an impressive 1343 yards on the ground with seven TDs and a 6.6 yards per carry average. He's also added 21 catches for 258 yards and another TD through the air.

yardbarker.com cites some of the back's atrubutes,

"Giddens’ instincts kick in once he’s in the alley or in the hole and facing a defender stepping down from depth. His wiggle, head fakes, loose hips, and subtle movements all feed defenders false information, and he’s quick to parlay off that move and continue into space. He’s more loose with his frame than he is explosive, however. He doesn’t make a lot of steep angled cuts, he’s a bit of a strider in the backfield, and he lacks the open-field juice to tear away from pursuit. 

"In the passing game, Giddens has shown natural hands and has the potential to be a viable option. He’s run wheels up the sideline and shallow routes that convert up the field on scramble drills..."

With their final pick in this draft, No. 166, the Patriots select a depth tight end in the fifth round

With the pick acquired from Arizona in the trade, No. 166, the Patriots select a developmental tight end, Oscar Delp from SEC powerhouse, Georgia. Delp only has 19 catches in 2024 thus far, but impressively, four of them went for touchdowns. That's a nice asset to bring to the table.

nfldraftbuzz.com has some nice things to say about the 6'5", 245-pound Bulldog,

"Delp projects as a high-upside, developmental tight end with the potential to become a dynamic offensive weapon in the NFL. His elite athleticism and versatility make him an intriguing prospect for teams employing multiple tight end sets or those looking to create mismatches in the passing game.

"In the right system, Delp could thrive as a move tight end, using his speed and agility to stress defenses vertically and horizontally. His willingness as a blocker suggests he could develop into a three-down player, though he may need time to adjust to the physicality of NFL trench warfare."

That's it, a five-round mock draft that would hit the ball right out of the park for the Patriots. They've added two left tackles, an explosive wideout, an elusive running back, and a very capable developmental tight end to an offense in dire need of help.

On defense, using two premium picks, they nab a top edge who can get to the passer and a solid defensive tackle whose profile will fit in nicely with fellow young tackles Christian Barmore and Keion White. All in all, whether it's Eliot Wolf or another top executive making these picks, this draft grades an A+. It's a home run well over the Green Monster onto the Mass Pike.

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