NFL mock drafts are all the rage these days — especially in New England, where the Patriots hold the No. 4 overall pick after a second consecutive 4-13 finish in 2024.
The Athletic put an interesting twist on a mock draft published this week, though, leaning on its NFL reporters to represent the teams they cover and make selections for the entire first round.
Trades were permitted as part of the “beat writer mock draft.” And what do you know? New England was at the heart of a hypothetical splash in Round 1.
“Writers were permitted to trade picks, and while many tried to execute moves up and down the board, only one deal materialized in our first mock draft — but it was a significant one,” The Athletic wrote before jumping into its pick-by-pick breakdown.
Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter and Miami quarterback Cam Ward were the first three selections, going to the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, respectively. (Joe Rexrode represented the Titans, Zac Jackson the Browns and Charlotte Carroll the Giants.)
Chad Graff, representing the Patriots, then opted to trade back from No. 4, acquiring the No. 6 and No. 68 overall selections from the Las Vegas Raiders. Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur chose Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders for the Raiders at No. 4.
After Jeff How drafted Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham for the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5, Graff picked LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell for the Patriots at No. 6.
“Sure, this isn’t the kind of one-sided trade it sometimes takes to move into the top-5 and take a quarterback,” Graff wrote. “But we were stuck trying to pick between Mason Graham and Will Campbell at No. 4, so when the Raiders offered a fair deal (according to draft charts), it was a no-brainer to move back, add another third-round pick and take whichever of Graham or Campbell fell. The goal for the Patriots is to build through the trenches, and Campbell (like Graham would’ve done) fills an immediate need.”
New England needs to revamp its roster. There are a ton of holes — both offensively and defensively — and therefore it’s difficult to project what the Patriots will do with the No. 4 pick, especially if both Hunter and Carter are off the board.
The Patriots seemingly found their franchise quarterback, Drake Maye, with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. That could go a long way toward changing their fortunes, but the Pats desperately need more impact talent in the 2025 NFL Draft.
