Despite things seemingly looking up for the New England Patriots vibe-wise, there is still much work that needs to be done to get the team in any sort of shape to contend in the ultra-competitive AFC.
The Patriots probably have the worst offensive supporting cast in the NFL to aid the talented Drake Maye, with a dearth of ability both catching and running the ball, alongside a very questionable offensive line.
As the Philadelphia Eagles showed the world in emphatic fashion last Sunday, championships are won in the trenches, and pundits have this reflected in various Patriots mock drafts, where they believed to have a strong chance to select LSU tackle, Will Campbell, considered by many to be the top offensive line prospect coming into the league in 2025.
Patriots Need Help At Receiver Coming Into 2025
However, New England’s need for talent is not limited to the big boys, with their receiver group clocking in as arguably the league’s worst. The Patriots ranked dead last (32nd) in passing yards this past season, with their leading receiver being veteran tight end, Hunter Henry, with 674.
Although the Pats have some nice young weapons in former 6th round picks, Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, who combined for 1210 yards in 2024, the team desperately needs a #1 option for Maye. And last year’s early second round pick, Ja’Lynn Polk, did almost nothing in 2024 to suggest he can be a valuable piece of the puzzle for New England moving forward.
Matt St. Jean of Pats Pulpit seems to have found an elegant solution to this dilemma in his latest mock draft. He predicts that whilst the Patriots will opt to take Campbell at #4, the team will then subsequently trade back into the first round and select Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka.
“Campbell is the best offensive line prospect in this draft” St. Jean says, “and there’s a real possibility he’s the best player on the board when the Patriots are on the clock. While his exact positional fit may be uncertain at this point, he found success against some of the best talent in college football from a young age. Campbell has a nasty streak in the run game and has allowed just four sacks across three full seasons since becoming the starting left tackle as a true freshman for the Tigers.”
Patriots Predicted To Trade Back Into The First Round For National Champion WR
Then, come pick 27, New England will trade their second and third round picks (38 & 77) for the rights to take Egbuka, according to St. Jean.
“You won’t find a more pro-ready wide receiver in this class than Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka. The senior wide receiver is a polished route runner and red zone threat who just knows how to make plays. Egbuka has a pair of 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown receiving seasons under his belt despite playing behind Marvin Harrison Jr. for two years and top freshman Jeremiah Smith this past season.”
Egbuka’s primary use as a mostly slot type player at Ohio State, alongside some injury concerns in the past two years, has probably negatively influenced his draft stock to the extent that he is currently projected to go in the last 7-8 picks of the first round, instead of being the top-20 prospect many believed he would be.
If he is looked by the Patriots at as slot-only weapon in the passing game, this could be problematic, as they already have Douglas, Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry filling in on the inside.
Yet, draft-time projections can be fickle, and for a player as large as Egbuka (6’1, 205 lbs), he could well push past that estimate, Justin Jefferson-style, and become a focal point of the offense on the inside and the perimeter.
A large part of being successful in the draft is simply taking talented players and finding a role for them – prioritizing character and ability over needs and scheme fits. If he’s there, the Patriots should think well and hard about trying to make a move for the former Buckeye.
