Patriots Could Take Advantage Of Unique NFL Draft Class

The Patriots are going to end up with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, aren’t they?

New England is in the middle of a six-game losing streak, and although the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans look like candidates to help end it, there is little hope for winning football beyond that. Jerod Mayo, Drake Maye and Eliot Wolf — the core of this rebuild — essentially just need to produce hope for the future, which would come in the form of a premium position in the draft.

It’s not like that would come without trouble, however.

The Patriots already appear to have their quarterback, so it might not seem like a significant issue on the surface, but this crop of quarterback prospects is anything but a lock. New England could land within the top three, but prospects that fit their primary needs (offensive tackle, wide receiver, linebacker) might not be worthy of such a high pick.

How should they approach that standing in such a unique scenario? We’ve got a few things in mind…

STOCKPILING PICKS
The Raiders watched six quarterbacks come off the board before they were on the clock at No. 13 last year, so they might not want to risk waiting it out this go around. The Patriots, in a scenario where they’re sitting around No. 4-6, could elect to move back and obtain extra capital while still drafting an offensive tackle like LSU’s Will Campbell or Texas’ Kelvin Banks.

New England could actually get pretty creative in trying to stockpile assets for the immediate future, especially if it ends up with that top pick.

The Bears were able to land standout wide receiver DJ Moore, two first-round picks and two second-round picks when they traded away the top selection in 2023. The Panthers are still reeling from that decision, but you can never count another team out from being that dumb and looking to land the next big thing — whether it be Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Georgia’s Carson Beck or Miami’s Cam Ward.

The No. 1 pick has been traded four times since 1997, and has turned into the likes of Caleb Williams and three current or future residents of Canton, Ohio — Derrick Henry, LaDainian Tomlinson and Walter Jones. It’s something to think about…

BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE
The Patriots could also just take Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who is far and away the best overall player in the class.

Hunter splits his time between wide receiver and cornerback, logging more snaps than any other player in college football over the past two seasons. New England could use depth at both spots, too, with his defensive versatility making it the expectation that he takes on an immediate starting role on that side of the football. Hunter could then be used in offensive packages that get him the ball in space and/or allow him to work in the middle of the field.

It’s more likely than not that he’ll be one of the first three players on the board; it just depends on which team is willing to pull the trigger.

New England does need an offensive tackle, though, so there’s a problem if they take Hunter in the first round. Campbell and Banks are widely considered the top options this year, though scouts have been weary of placing them among the truly elite prospects. It’s one of those positions where they’re going to get drafted earlier than they probably should, but the depth in this class should leave plenty of day-one starting options looking for a home in the second round.

Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery, Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea and Ohio State’s Josh Simmons — especially after suffering a season-ending knee injury — come to mind as bang-for-your-buck options in the second round.

BLOCKBUSTER DUO
Why not do both?

The Patriots haven’t made two first-round picks since 2012, when they landed a pair of franchise cornerstones in Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower. It’s unlikely they’ll do something similar in 2025, but still possible!

Hunter more than likely would be the first selection, with a move into the back half of the first round likely coming to select one of the offensive tackles — which could come by making a trade with the likes of the Los Angeles Rams or Minnesota Vikings, both teams looking to fill the middle of their rosters and that have traded away Day 2 picks.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft could be standing on a dais at Gillette Stadium with two players next April, not one.