1 week Ago By Pat Lane
Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images A look at the good and the bad for each of the Patriots pick this weekend. The New England Patriots entered the 2025 NFL Draft with nine picks in hand. They ended the weekend with 11 players added to their roster, and it appears that a whole bunch of them have a chance to come in and contribute right away.
Whatever you think about the players brought in, one theme became very clear: they wanted guys that would fit the culture Mike Vrabel and company are trying to build in Foxboro. So, with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at each selection.Below, you will find a grade for each pick, along with a brief breakdown of “The Good” and “The Bad” for every prospect selected at his respective slot.
Fact is that every pick, no matter how highly-rated or not, has two sides to their story.Round 1 grades1-4: OT Will Campbell (LSU): B+The Good: The Patriots’ biggest need was on the offensive line, and specifically left tackle. Campbell was the consensus best lineman in the draft, so this is a perfect fit.
Combine that with a mature-beyond-his-years personality and his obvious desire to be part of a winning organization, and I can’t imagine a better fit at No. 4 overall than Will Campbell.The Bad: There are serious length concerns, to the point that some teams had him as a guard.
His tape is good, but he wasn’t as dominant as some of the left tackles taken this high in the past.For a guy whose knock is his arm length, Will Campbell is still incredibly powerful at the point of attack. Compact force, loose hips, pure aggression.
He torques right through Nic Scourton here on the down block (and lets Scourton know about it after). pic.twitter.
com/04KLtoDorE— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) March 21, 2025Round 2 grades2-38: RB TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State): AThe Good: The Patriots have been very vocal about their need for a speed back, and they got, arguably, the best one available in this year’s draft. Henderson isn’t just a home run hitter, though; he’s a powerful runner, an above-average receiver, and the best pass-blocking back to come out of the last decade. All of that combines to make him a heck of a player for the Patriots at the top of the second round.
The Bad: This is more about the players on the board when the Patriots took Henderson than Henderson himself. Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku was there, as was wide receiver Luther Burden; both would have addressed needs bigger than running back. Taking a back at 38, when you already have two NFL-caliber backs, and when you have a ton of other needs is certainly a risk.
Time will tell if the risk pays off for the Patriots.TreVeyon Henderson was the ONLY RB in CFB to hit these marks:➖7.0+ Yards Per Carry➖1,000+ Rushing Yards➖250+ Receiving YardsHis 145 Rushing Attempts were the LEAST by a player who cleared the 1,000+ yard mark.
.➖Size: 5’10, 207 lbs➖40 Time: 4.43 (92nd Percentile) pic.
twitter.com/pOMx91jEKQ— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) April 1, 2025Round 3 grades3-69: WR Kyle Williams (Washington State): AThe Good: The Patriots needed to add playmakers to their offense, and there might not have been a better receiver against man coverage than Williams was this year. He creates separation easily, and is a yards-after-catch demon.
He is going to bring some serious big play ability to an offense that was completely devoid of it last year. The Bad: Williams is a fifth-year senior whose college breakout didn’t come until his final season. Before that season, he wasn’t really on anyone’s radar.
While he is a good separator, a lot of his yards come off short-to-intermediate receptions as opposed to deep shots. Finally, the schedule this year for Washington State was a bit easy, and he feasted on lower competition when he faced it. He should do so, but it muddies his projection a bit.
2+ minutes of Kyle Williams absolutely torching guys on All-22:• Patriots fans, meet your WR1...
pic.twitter.com/NhPscB5NGS— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) April 26, 20253-95: C Jared Wilson (Georgia): A+The Good: Wilson was the best center in the draft, and the Patriots were able to get him even after trading down twice to pick up some extra assets, including a 2026 fourth-rounder.
They signed Garrett Bradbury this offseason, but center is a position of need in the long term. Wilson is an athletic freak, and would be one of the most athletic centers the Patriots have had in a long time. He also was rated significantly higher than this eventual draft spot.
All things combined, this looks like a big win for the Patriots.The Bad: Wilson is very athletic, but he isn’t the most stout player, and larger defensive linemen can occasionally drive him back. He also lacks some of the power that you might want from an interior offensive lineman.
It’s possible that he could struggle against a defense that consistently lines up a player straight over the center.Jared Wilson is a natural center who will play in the NFL a long time.I’m planting my flag before he has a big time Combine this week ♨️He’s a high-level athlete for a guy who’s 6’3, 310lbs with such a strong anchor on the interior.
Legit day 2 center prospect pic.twitter.com/BhT8mInwSd— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 25, 2025Round 4 grades4-106: S Craig Woodson (Cal): D+The Good: Woodson has the ability to play multiple positions in the secondary, ranging from slot corner to deep safety.
Some of the speed concerns that people had about him were quelled when he ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and had a 10-foot-7 broad jump at the Scouting Combine. He is an explosive downhill player who is a good blitzer and has a nose for the football.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah had highlighted him before the draft as a day 3 player who he thought had a great chance to be a starter right away.The Bad: Woodson was the 197th player on the Arif Hasan Consensus Big Board, and the Patriots took him at 106. I preferred Jordan Hancock to him, if the Patriots were looking for someone to fill that role for them.
He has shorter arms, which could be a problem in jump-ball situations. He is also an older prospect, and will be a 24-year-old rookie. Lastly, even though he ran well at the Combine, he does not play as fast as his clocked time.
This is a risky pick. They could end up with Duron Harmon, or they could end up with Jordan Richard or Tavon Wilson.AWESOME pick for the #Patriots in Craig Woodson, one of the most athletic, springy safeties in the entire class.
Per @PFF_College, his 2024 season was one of the best seasons a safety has had in the last five years.He finished with an 85+ coverage AND run grade in 2024, one of..
. pic.twitter.
com/bG1mgnvkjD— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) April 26, 20254-137: DT Joshua Farmer (Florida State): AThe Good: The Patriots spent a lot of resources on their defensive line this year, but they needed more depth, and they got some when they traded up for Farmer. He has a quick first step, and can easily penetrate the line quickly to cause havoc in the backfield. The Patriots are going with a defense that wants to attack and Farmer fits that mold to a T.
He should be a rotational player from Day 1.The Bad: Farmer is inconsistent with his pad level, and can get knocked back when he loses focus and plays too high. He also struggles against double teams at times.
His inconsistency is the reason why he dropped to No. 137. If he can figure that out, he will be a very good pro, but there is an element of “if” involved with this pick.
Joshua Farmer's skillset and flashes of brilliance are impressive. If he can find consistency, his potential is through the roof. pic.
twitter.com/yGCYBxYbbS— Billy M (@BillyM_91) April 9, 2025Round 5 grades5-146: ED Bradyn Swinson (LSU): A+The Good: As I just mentioned, the Patriots need more depth, and also more players that can get after the passer. Swinson brings exactly after finishing his final season at LSU with 13.
5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He has a great first step, but he doesn’t just rely on speed around the edge: he has legit pass rushing moves, which makes him a challenging player to block.
Swinson was the 68th player on the consensus board, and the Patriots got him at 146. His pick should make the people that were upset the Patriots went running back instead of edge in the second round feel a lot better.The Bad: Swinson has a tough time against the run, which limits him to rotational player status.
If a tackle gets his hands on him, or if he faces a double team, he does struggle to get off. His size might prevent him from ever being an every-down player. In addition, there were some questions about his maturity coming out of LSU.
Thought Bradyn Swinson was underrated in this edge class despite a monster final season at LSU.His 60 pressures ranked sixth in the FBS behind a 22.1% pass rush win rate (13th).
Love the value in Round 5. pic.twitter.
com/lu9OF0KZSF— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) April 26, 2025Round 6 grades6-182: K Andres Borregales (Miami): B-The Good: The Patriots had a need at kicker, and they filled it with the highest-rated one available. Borregales is known for his accuracy, technique, and clean operation. In the sixth round, it’s not a bad idea to take a special teams player, especially when you have a need; you don’t expose yourself to the UDFA process that way.
By taking the first kicker, the Patriots ensured that they got the exact guy that they wanted. The Bad: It’s a kicker, and the Patriots have a ton of holes on their roster. Instead of spending the draft capital on the position, the Patriots could have either signed one as a UDFA without too big of a drop-off in quality, or do what the Detroit Lions did and sign the best one from the UFL.
#Patriots landed the consensus best PK in the 2025 Draft in @ShrineBowl and Miami’s Andres Borregales.The combination of his outstanding leg (6 field goals over 50 yards made in his career), consistency from all distances (18 for 19 this year, kickoff ability (90.5 PFF grade in.
.. pic.
twitter.com/P0u2bK4RXn— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) April 26, 2025Round 7 grades7-220: OT Marcus Bryant (Missouri): D+The Good: The Patriots need more depth, especially at the tackle position. Bryant provides the size that the team needs, has a ton of experience as a player, and is an impressive overall athlete.
Having a backup like that, and if it is only to push those already on the roster is a valuable asset to get late in the seventh round.The Bad: Bryant wasn’t on the consensus board, and was the 36th tackle in Dane Brugler’s The Beast, which was low enough for him to not even get a write-up. He tested pretty well, but looks a little slow on tape, which will certainly be a concern if he is ever going to try to become a starter in this league.
Was watching BC Vs. Mizzou film and Missouris LT Marcus Bryant really impressed me. pic.
twitter.com/SlnKQ0IRiS— Cole (@coleplant_) September 25, 20247-251: LS Julian Ashby (Vanderbilt): D-The Good: Mike Vrabel has cleaned house of every captain from the 2024 team except for one, Joe Cardona. It appears that his team loved Ashby and are possibly drafting him to replace Cardona, who himself was drafted in the fifth round in 2015.
Long snapper might not be a position that is often drafted — it hadn’t since 2021 — but it is an important one nonetheless. If the Patriots can get younger and cheaper at the position, while getting the best prospect available in their eyes, it makes a ton of sense. He also has pretty good athleticism, which will help him when he is covering punts.
The Bad: The Patriots, who had four wins last season, drafted a long snapper. Yes, it’s the seventh round, but spending any draft pick on a position like long snapper is still curious business given the historical interest in the position. They could have just signed the best one as a rookie free agent and called it a day without too big of a drop-off.
7-257: CB Kobee Minor (Memphis): FThe Good: The Patriots need more special teams players, and Minor seems to be just that. He also has some experience on defense. As the last player selected in the 2025 draft, he becomes the newest Mr.
Irrelevant.The Bad: Minor played at three different schools over the course of his college career and never registered an interception. He’s not a starter, and he had a 4.
54-second 40-yard dash, which tells you that he is not a guy who provides a ton of upside on special teams either. He was the 127th-ranked cornerback in this draft, according to The Beast. It’s hard to imagine a world where Minor makes the team, or even the practice squad.
Why him over more draftable candidates, even at this point in the draft, is a mystery.Overall gradeThe Patriots added some quality players at positions of need, and a lot of them will have a chance to be contributors on Day 1. There are nitpicks with every pick, and the range goes from steals to head-scratchers, but overall the haul is nothing but solid.
For a team that was in desperate need of impact players, the Patriots seem to have gotten more than a few, and that should bode well for them moving forward. Getting players that are going to fit what they want to do from a cultural perspective should also help them follow the vision that Mike Vrabel has in mind for the franchise — a vision that became increasingly unclear during the disappointing 2024 season.This is a step in the right direction, and a much-needed one.
Final grade: B+Which grade would you give the Patriots’ haul in this year’s draft? Which picks did you like most? Which ones did you not agree with? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts and compare results..
