For twenty years, the New England Patriots were a model of stability. Although changes were made to the roster in any given year, the head coach and quarterback combination was a constant, which helped them achieve unprecedented success during that span. More recently, Gillette Stadium has become a glorified drive-thru.
The franchise has tossed and burned at quarterbacks since Tom Brady left after the 2019 season, and they have also gone through a revolving door at the head coaching position. After moving on from Jerod Mayo after just one season, the Patriots will have a new head coach for the third time in as many seasons.
While this tortuous carousel has swirled the Patriots toward the bottom of the league, they may have found the light at the end of the tunnel. The franchise’s No. 3 pick in 2024 NFL DraftDrake Maye, has shown his ability to be a centerpiece of the franchise. Meanwhile, the Patriots recently hired Mike Vrabel as their latest head coach.
The Vrabel-Maye combination brings promise of renewed stability for the Patriots as they move forward with this rebuild. While putting these pieces in place is a start, there is still a puzzle to put together, including the arrival of impact players in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Below, we’ll look specifically at the upcoming draft, highlighting New England’s current collection of picks, what our CBS Sports draft experts think he’ll do in the first round, and an optimal strategy for building a class of recruits which makes the difference.
Patriots’ 2025 NFL Draft Picks
Latest mock drafts
Key focus areas
While there is optimism around the Patriots after seeing Maye flash during his rookie season, this is a franchise with an array of needs and they could go in a multitude of directions in the draft of the NFL. One of New England’s main issues throughout the 2024 season was on the offensive line. He has needs across the board, but specifically at both tackle positions. That’s why you see some of our CBS Sports NFL Draft experts pegging Will Campbell and Kelvin Banks Jr. as options for the Patriots at No. 4 overall. Pairing a solid left tackle prospect alongside Maye would be extremely valuable in his development as he looks toward year two.
Vrabel may have even given the Patriots a hand in his introductory press conference when asked about some of the team’s top priorities this offseason.
“Certainly you look at teams that are able to protect the quarterback and dictate the flow of the game offensively, making sure that we’re solid up front, that we’re strong, whether it’s through free referee or the draft, it’s something it’s essential,” he said.
If they decide to draft an offensive tackle at No. 4, then they would use their collection of Day 2 picks to likely address other key needs, including interior linemen, edge rushers and pass catchers . However, if they choose to go in a different direction at No. 4 (perhaps receiver/corner Travis Hunter or pass rusher Abdul Carter), offensive tackle becomes the absolute necessity to start the second round.
It’s worth pointing out that the Patriots’ plan of attack at this key juncture could be largely determined by what happens in free agency, where they are expected to have the most cap space in the entire league. For example, if they can land free agent wide receiver Tee Higgins, that takes away some of the importance of trying to land a pass catcher early in the draft. The same logic applies if they bring in an array of offensive linemen. Then they could consider solidifying the defensive line with Carter or decide to add the one-on-one threat talent in Hunter. Given that they already have their quarterback of the future in place, New England has the ability to be flexible in the draft, which is a huge advantage over other top five clubs.
