NFL Draft Expert Highlights Favorite Prospect At Patriots Position Of Need

The New England Patriots enter the 2025 NFL draft with multiple holes on their roster.

At the same time, it may be beneficial for the Patriots to also address their long-term needs, such as the tight end position.

While New England has Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper returning to lead the depth chart, both are over 30 years old, and Hooper’s contract expires at the end of the season. Henry signed a three-year extension in 2024, but the deal does not include guaranteed money in 2026, and he will be 32 years old.

NFL Media draft expert Daniel Jeremiah highlighted one tight end prospect who could be the perfect fit for the Patriots, since the need is not immediate, and tight ends traditionally take longer to develop than other positions.

“The take, the consensus, was that Harold Fannin was the coaching favorite of the tight end coaches. They all really liked him. I like him too. He’s a really good player,” Jeremiah told reporters during a pre-draft conference call Friday, per a NFL.com transcript. “I think he’s going to go in the second round when it’s all said and done. Maybe the middle to the back portion of the second round.”

Jeremiah also discussed the Bowling Green product’s unconventional running style, arguing that all that matters is whether it works.

“When you go up against Penn State and do what he did, and then you show against Texas A&M when you are running away from everybody,” he said. “It looks a little different watching him run. He ran 4.7 once. He didn’t blow it out, but he’s faster than you think, and he just has a knack for getting open, separating, and it’s kind of a different-looking kind of a waddle that he uses as a runner. He covers ground. He can make people miss.

“He’s just excellent with the ball in his hands. To me, I think he’s, at the worst case scenario, top of three, but I think he has a good shot of going in the middle of the back portion of two.”

NESN.com writer Keagan Stiefel also mentioned Fannin as one of his most underrated players in the 2025 draft class.