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Will the New England Patriots play wait and hope? Or will they be aggressive and make a trade? Regardless, here are three players the Patriots must avoid in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Patriots hold a key card with the No. 4 overall pick. If things go according to the expected path, the Titans will take Cam Ward, followed by the Browns getting Adbul Carter. That would give Travis Hunter to the New York Giants.
Of course, the Patriots might prefer to have Carter or Hunter fall to them. But that doesn’t seem like the most probable course of action.
Patriots must turn away from OT Will Campbell
Yes, some mock drafts have the Patriots making this very pick. And on the surface it might seem like the right way to go.
However, the LSU product is a risky pick. And the Patriots can do better. Check out the first description by Lance Zierlein of nfl.com.
“Athletic left tackle prospect who's durable and battle-tested but has elements of high risk, high reward in his game,” Zierlein wrote.
Is that what the Patriots want from their No. 4 pick? High risk? Shouldn’t all of the higher first-round picks come with more reward than gamble as opposed to equal parts of each?
“Campbell is a thumping run blocker who can clear out B-gaps with forceful down blocks and displace base blocks with his “strike and run” technique,” Zierlein wrote. “(However,) he struggles to win laterally. He will lunge and miss against stunts and movement.”
Whoa. More problems. This can’t be the right choice, can it?
“Campbell operates with good athleticism and agility in pass protection but is way too leaky against inside moves. He has a jarring, heavy punch and can latch in to control the rep,” Zierlein wrote. “However, he has short arms and when he’s beaten to first action, the footwork and technique go out the window, forcing him to scramble and survive to save the pocket.”
What about NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah? What does he think of Campbell?
“Campbell has ideal height, bulk and athleticism for his position,” Jeremiah wrote. “In pass pro, he stays square, bends well, and keeps his hands in tight. He will expose his chest at times (due to his lack of ideal length) but he’s able to recover after giving up some initial ground. There's been a lot of talk about Campbell's arm length during the evaluation process.”
There are a lot of question marks. The Patriots should check out Armand Membou, or trade down.
RB Ashton Jeanty is another no-go
If the Patriots are looking for a skilled player, a receiver like Tetairoa McMillan makes far more sense than Jeanty.
There’s a reason the Boise State product isn’t mentioned in the generational talent conversation with Carter and Hunter. He does get good reviews from Jeremiah.
“(Jeanty) is a short, compact runner with incredible strength, balance, and burst,” Jeremiah wrote. “He displays outstanding vision, tempo, and feel. On inside runs, the Boise State product has a unique ability to absorb and bounce off tacklers. He has quick feet and never stops driving on contact, leading to some miraculous escapes and home runs.”
That sounds nice, but the Patriots need help at wide receiver and the offensive line before they consider a running back. The 2025 draft is full of good running backs. They can get one in the second or third round. Jeanty is simply too expensive.
Besides, Jeanty may not hang around long in the NFL if he doesn’t solve a big problem.
“He needs to improve his ball security, having fumbled nine times over the past two seasons,” Jeremiah wrote.
Also, he’s not the biggest hammer in the toolbox.
“Overall, Jeanty might lack ideal size, but he’s a mixture of Dalvin Cook and J.K. Dobbins as a runner,” Jeremiah wrote.
TE Tyler Warren should be off the radar
It’s unlikely the Patriots would spend the No. 4 pick on Warren, who could be available into the double-digit portion of the first round.
However, if the Patriots trade down, they still need to avoid Warren. And someone should tell Mike Vrable, who likes Warren, according to nesn.com.
“You certainly watch Tyler (Warren) and his playstyle and his demeanor, and having met with him at the combine, I think he’s a wonderful prospect,” Vrabel said.
Jeremiah likes Warren in terms of size and versatility.
“Warren is a massive tight end who carried the Penn State offense this past season,” Jeremiah wrote. “He lined up in-line, in the slot, and as a Wildcat quarterback. His production is the result of his size, catch radius, and tenacity.”
But Warren can’t do one thing that makes NFL pass catchers stand out.
“He doesn’t generate a lot of separation as a route runner,” Jeremiah wrote. “But he walls off defenders when on the move. Defenders simply can’t get through his body to make plays on the ball.”
