With the NFL Combine taking place this week, the Patriots will be hyper-focused on the incoming rookie class and who might fit the team best for the 2025 season and beyond.
There is inevitably a lot of focus on who they might take with the fourth overall pick, which has consistently changed over the last few months, and now the new regime will have an up close and personal look at the best prospects who will be available once they're on the clock in the first round.
They have a long list of needs going into the draft on both sides of the ball, but with their first pick, the consensus continues to have Mike Vrabel and Co. selecting a player on offense in hopes of setting Drake Maye up for success as soon as the 2025 season begins.
That continues to be the case in the latest batch of mock drafts, as Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter is no longer considered the favorite pick. Instead, the Patriots remain on the board for an offensive lineman, which has since shifted away from LSU's Will Campbell, and now a new receiver joins the group as the latest player to enter the fold for New England.
Patriots 2025 NFL Mock Draft Roundup heading into the Combine
CBS Sports: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
"Campbell has been my OT2 throughout and while he's not as athletic as Kelvin Banks Jr., he's been incredibly consistent throughout his LSU career. He had his struggles with Jared Verse in '23 (who didn't), and the formidable South Carolina front four gave him trouble at times in the fall, but good luck finding a left tackle more reliable play in and play out than Campbell."
Pro Football Network: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas
"The Patriots’ biggest priority this offseason is protecting Drake Maye. This early into the first round, they’re able to have the first pick of offensive linemen. Kelvin Banks Jr. is the best offensive tackle prospect in the class, with the power and athleticism to be a reliable starter in New England."
Fox Sports: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas
"While New England has several needs to address, the offensive line has to be the most crucial. They were one of six teams this past season to have given up 52 sacks, and had the second-lowest pass block efficiency grade in the NFL in 2024 at 80.1, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). This season's Outland Trophy Award winner (given to the nation's best lineman) is a smart choice here. When including the regular and bowl season, Banks allowed one sack this season and had the fifth best PFF pass block grade of any offensive tackle at 89.8."
NFL.com: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
"Drake Maye showed great potential last season in spite of a porous offensive line. Giving the new face of the franchise better protection feels like an absolute necessity. Campbell’s arm length will be a measurement of interest at the combine, with some viewing him as a better pro prospect at guard. Our resident scouts don’t see it that way, though, as Daniel Jeremiah touts the tackle as his No. 8 overall prospect and Bucky Brooks calls him “the crown jewel” of an intriguing OT class. Worst-case scenario: Campbell shifts inside, where New England’s thin to begin with."
NFL Spin Zone: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
"With the New England Patriots willing to trade down with the Carolina Panthers, they now sit with the eighth pick in this mock draft. They take the massive Arizona wide receiver in Tetairoa McMillan. Drake Maye needs a ton of help on that offense. Their offensive line might just be the worst in the NFL right now, and their WR room isn't much better."
Sports Illustrated: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
"Doubts persist about whether Campbell has long enough arms to play tackle in the NFL—combine measurements should paint a clearer picture—but his three-year career at LSU proved he has the tools needed to last outside. Campbell, a Day 1 starter at left tackle, has smooth feet, reliable technique and easy athleticism that lends itself favorably in both the run and the pass. He’d be a quality addition to the starting five in front of rising second-year signal caller Drake Maye."
Pro Football Focus: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
"The top skill player on our big board falls to the Patriots. McMillan is an X receiver who could be a target hog and deep threat paired with Drake Maye. The Patriots wide receivers had the lowest team grade last season, while Maye had an above-average deep and intermediate ball accuracy percentage at 46.2%. McMillan would be a fine pick for the Patriots at fourth overall in the regular draft and an even better pick in this skill-player draft."