Patriots Draft Rumors: Projected Top-10 Pick Visiting New England

The New England Patriots’ list of pre-draft visitors to Gillette Stadium now includes two projected first-round edge rushers.

After hosting Georgia’s Nolan Smith for a top-30 visit last week, the Patriots plan to do the same with Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson this Friday, according to a report Tuesday from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

While some have speculated the undersized Smith could slide into the bottom half of Round 1, Wilson is widely viewed as a likely top-10 pick. Breer called him a “top-10 lock,” which would put him out of the Patriots’ range unless they swing a trade to move up from No. 14.

Breer tweeted that the Patriots “sit lower than (Wilson will) go, but Wilson loved the idea of getting time with … Bill Belichick.”

This will be at least the second time the Patriots have met with Wilson. They previously interviewed him at the NFL Scouting Combine, where they also sat down with projected Day 1 edge rushers Lukas Van Ness of Iowa and Myles Murphy of Clemson.

Measuring in at 6-foot-6, 271 pounds, Wilson racked up 14 sacks and 27 1/2 tackles for loss over his two seasons as a starter at Texas Tech. He missed his final three games with a foot injury that prevented him from working out at the combine or his pro day.

In Wilson’s NFL.com draft profile, Lance Zierlein described him as a “(l)ong-limbed defender who figures to turn into a full-blown nightmare for opponents if he continues to grow into both his frame and his game.” Wilson’s height and arm length both rank in the 95th percentile or higher among edge defenders, per Mockdraftable.

Edge rusher isn’t a dire draft need for the Patriots, but they could use additional depth in that group behind Matthew Judon, Josh Uche and defensive end Deatrich Wise. Uche is entering the final year of his rookie contract after breaking out with 11 1/2 sacks in 2022, and perennial Pro Bowler Judon turns 31 in August.

It likely would take a surprise slide or first-round trade-up for the Patriots to have a shot at Wilson, but their interest in many of this year’s top edge prospects has been notable.