If the best option is taken the Patriots can still win
As the draft quickly approaches, guesswork about who will go where and when in the 2025 NFL draft abounds. With pick No. 4, the Patriots are in the thick of the mix and the speculation. While how they got that fourth pick is not optimal, having it is still a positive.
At No. 4, the good news is you can get the best player at his position in the draft. In the case of the Patriots, who have multiple positions that need to be filled, it must be that level of player. Fortunately, the situation will afford the opportunity to do just that.
In this scenario, we’ll assume some prognostications are correct, and absent a trade up, the best player in the draft, multi-positional Travis Hunter, will be taken by pick No. 4. That’s what winning a meaningless game will do for you. Regardless, the Patriots will have several solid options. We’ll explore four here.
The top 2 options for the Patriots with Travis Hunter off the board
Penn State’s edge, Abdul Carter, is a transcendent non-quarterback in the draft. He’s been compared to Micah Parsons of Dallas—high praise indeed. The Nittany Lion posted awesome 2024 numbers, racking up 64 stops, 24 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, four passes defended, and two forced fumbles in 16 games.
If Carter is available at pick No. 4, he’s the pick, assuming he’s checked out medically. Even though the Patriots added two solid edge players in free agency, Carter is too good to pass up at a position of need. It’s a no-brainer pick for Mike Vrabel’s defense.
Should Carter also be off the board at pick No. 4, the Patriots have options. They can trade down a pick or three, garner another second-round pick (it may cost them one of their two third-rounders), and draft one of the three other top players to be highlighted here.
With both taken, a savvy pick at No. 4 would be to take the best tackle at the team’s neediest position, left tackle. That is Will Campbell from LSU. Campbell is not only the best tackle in the draft, he’s the best left tackle, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Patriots need to add one or two in this draft. They’ll get the top one available in Campbell, all the silly controversy about his arm length notwithstanding. He’s an instantaneous starter on the left side and fills the team’s biggest need. It’s a home run pick for Mike Vrabel.
Two other top players who fit the Patriots best with pick No. 4
The next two players who’d be great picks for the Patriots at pick No. 4, or after the slight trade down, are the draft’s best running back and the draft’s best defensive tackle. The Patriots need bolstering at both positions. Running back is perhaps the greater requirement.
It was floated earlier that selecting the best back in the draft, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty could be far more impactful than it initially appears. Jeanty was a transcendent college back with the numbers to prove it. In 2024, he ran for a startling 2601 yards, with a 7.0 yards per carry average, and 29 touchdowns! He also added 23 catches for another 138 yards and a score.
Jeanty is a one-man offense. Look no further than the Super Bowl-winning Eagles to see what a transcendent back can provide to a team’s fortunes. They added Saquon Barkley last off-season. Added to quarterback Jalen Hurts, his production propelled the Eagles to the title. Add Jeanty to QB, Drake Maye with a rebuilt O-line and better receivers, and who knows what “unthinkable” things can happen.
The final option at pick No. 4 or after the slight trade-down is for the Patriots to select Michigan’s defensive tackle (DT) Mason Graham. Though the Patriots deftly added free agent star Milton Williams and will presumably deploy Keion White at his best position, DT, a need still exists. Hopefully, Christian Barmore will be fully healthy. Regardless, Graham adds an immediate top rotational piece to the mix.
Graham has been called a bigger, not-so-fast version of Aaron Donald. Donald will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. While Graham isn’t likely to be his equal, if he’s 3/4s as good, he’s a future Pro Bowler. His stats don’t overwhelm, but his skills fit Mike Vrabel’s upfield, penetrating defense nicely.
Those are four players who’d be top picks by the Patriots if Travis Hunter is off the board at pick No. 4. Hunter is the pick if available at pick No. 4. If not, any of the four players suggested will be a top pick for the team at a position of need. Be thrilled with any of them.