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Heading into the 2025 NFL calendar year, if there's one position New England Patriots fans desperately want to see addressed, it's left tackle.
All things considered, it makes sense, right? The Patriots' offensive line was brutal in 2024, with Drake Maye producing at Pro Bowl replacement levels despite being constantly under pressure from opposing rushers. With the chances of selecting a certified “generational talent” in Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter a longshot heading into the draft, most fans have happily accepted that the Patriots will likely draft the top tackle in this year's class, Will Campbell or Kelvin Banks Jr., who can grow with Maye on a cost-controlled long-term contract.
On paper, that strategy is sound: left tackle is a very expensive position in the modern NFL, and landing a good one who is just above drinking age could lead to a half-decade of cheap play at a position of value instead of the more short-term fix a free agent target presents.
The problem with that plan? The top two tackles in the 2025 NFL Draft are very good players, but far from the cornerstone building blocks a team like the Patriots needs to amass at this stage of their rebuilding process. No, with just a few legit cornerstone players on the roster, to put it kindly, the Patriots need to be in the unadulterated pursuit of talent at all costs, borderline, regardless of schematic fit.
Fortunately, even if Hunter and Carter are off the board at pick four, which feels 50-50 at this point, they could secure the next best prospect – literally – in Mason Graham, who could have a massive impact as the new face of Mike Vrabel's defense.
Mason Graham is being overlooked as a franchise three-tech
In most NFL Drafts, like last year's for instance, Mason Graham likely would have been the first defensive player and potentially even the first non-quarterback taken because of his do-it-all game built on exactly what teams want from a starting defensive tackle in 2025.
He's a big, burly 6-foot-3, 314 pounds, with a strong frame, an athletic build, and a natural ability to break through offensive lines on a one-way trip to whichever player has the unfortunate responsibility to possess the ball on any given play.
Currently ranked fourth on Daniel Jeremiah's big board behind Carter, Hunter, and Ashton Jeanty, Graham possesses all of the intangibles a talent evaluator could look for in a franchise defensive tackle, especially for a team like the Patriots with championship aspirations.
“Graham is a powerful defensive tackle with outstanding leverage and instincts. He's one of the most consistent players in the draft class. Against the run, he has an impressive short-area burst to attack blockers. He excels in block destruction,” Jeremiah wrote. “He stacks, finds the ball, chucks blockers to the side, and collects tackles. He has lateral range to make plays down the line, too. He is always in a leverage position and never gets uprooted. In the pass game, he has a violent club/rip move and a powerful bull rush. His effort is outstanding. Overall, it's easy to identify Graham as a former wrestler. He always has a full gas tank, and he set the tone for the entire Michigan defense.”
In Tennessee, Vrabel had Jeffery Simmons as his big-bodied three-technique who could eat up double teams, blow up zone-blocking systems, and ultimately set the tone for the Titans' defense. While Graham might not immediately make that level of impact right out of the gates, as every player has a bit of a transitional period from the college ranks to the pros, if he could be that level of player for the Patriots moving forward, he could easily earn a similarly lucrative contract when his deal eventually comes due in 2030.
While the temptation to fill a need will unquestionably be there for the Patriots in April, the best NFL teams almost never pass up a blue-chipper for a good player at a position of need. If New England is wise, they will follow that same team-building strategy.
Free Agency has plenty of interesting tackle options.
Another factor that weighs into the Patriots' decision-making plans is the strength of the offensive tackle class in this year's free agency class, where New England will have roughly $126 million in cap space to play with as they look to fix their roster.
With that kind of money, the Pats could opt to sign the best tackle available, Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens, and be done with it, overpaying to ensure they get Maye the best possible bodyguard that money could buy. The Patriots could also choose to target a player like Cam Robinson, who will be a bit cheaper but was a great pickup for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, or even Alaric Jackson of the Rams, who is the youngest player of the bunch and is just entering his prime, which, in turn, makes him a closer age fit to Maye.
While there are plenty of offensive tackles who hit the ground running as rookies, others, even high-profile ones, often take a few weeks, months, or even seasons to become elite NFL players. Could Campbell and Banks Jr. become better than a player like Stanley down the road? Potentially so, but in 2025, at the very least, it's clear the Notre Dame product is still one of the best tackles in the NFL and could continue to play at that level for at least the next half-decade, considering the longevity most offensive tackles have in the modern day NFL.
Trade down? Then draft Will Campbell or Kalvin Banks Jr.
If the Patriots are picking at four, then opting for a very good prospect over a blue chipper makes very little sense, as New England isn't good enough at basically any position save quarterback to pass on elite talent.
If, however, they trade down a few spots, maybe because some team like the Las Vegas Raiders or the Pittsburgh Steelers really want to select a dropping quarterback, then heck yeah, pick Campbell at six or another option, like maybe Ohio State's Josh Simmons in the middle of the first round to help bolster the offensive line regardless of how free agency shakes out.
Why? Because that's just value, baby.
Do you ever consider buying a certain brand of snack or drink because it's on sale, even if it isn't your usual go-to? Well, that's the same basic idea that comes into play here: if the Patriots are adding additional draft compensation just to move down a few spots, most of the blue-chippers will probably be gone. While Campbell and Banks Jr. aren't in that category, they fall one category below it, along with about a dozen other players who will likely be selected in the first round. If the Patriots secure one of these players, be that an offensive tackle, a defensive tackle, an edge rusher, or even a wide receiver, then they will be following that best player available philosophy, which is likely what the team would have done had they secured the first overall pick anyway, assuming they didn't fall in love with Hunter or Carter while it was in their possession.
