Patriots
“I think there’s a difference between taking risks and being aggressive in adding quality players and people to the roster.”
FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots are not just one blue-chip talent away from reasserting themselves as a top contender in the NFL.
Even though New England has some coveted draft capital — headlined by the No. 4 pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft — the Patriots still have several holes to fill across their depth chart.
As such, new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t honing in on just one player by the time New England gets on the clock at No. 4 on April 24.
“It’s to add as many quality players and quality people. We want to come out of it with some starters,” Vrabel said Tuesday of his priorities entering the draft. “We want to come out of it with some depth, role players that can build the strength and the depth of the roster, the backup players, situational players.
“There’s just trying to find a fit for all these different players, where they are, and what we see them doing. And then ultimately, they’ll come in and define their role.”
While New England’s most pressing need at this stage of the offseason likely rests in adding a stalwart at left tackle, the Patriots are also woefully short on high-end talent at several skill positions.
If the draft falls a certain way, the Patriots would welcome a scenario where a potent pass rusher like Abdul Carter falls to them at No. 4 — even if the team already has upgraded their D line and pass-rushing personnel this offseason with Harold Landry, Milton Williams, and others.
Despite the dwindling odds of Travis Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, falling to New England at No. 4, the Patriots could also use one of their draft picks to target another intriguing pass catcher to add to a receiver corps now headlined by Stefon Diggs.
While it remains to be seen who the Patriots do select at No. 4 overall, Vrabel stressed that the team can’t also divert all of its resources into trying to hit a home run with their first-round pick — only to then squander the chances to add other lineup regulars with the second- and third-round selections.
“Well, I think where we’re drafting, there’s a handful of guys,” Vrabel said when asked of how many “coveted” prospects are in this draft class. “We’re not in the market for a quarterback, so that’ll eliminate anybody that throws the football. But I do think that there are players that we covet at every level. I think that’s the thing that we find as you go through.
“It’s a package. It’s a complete package. It’s about the player, the person, and the most important thing for me is the vision we have for them and the impact they’re going to make in the locker room and in the community.”
Vrabel and de-facto GM Eliot Wolf’s draft plans would likely be a lot easier had the team not dropped to No. 4 after a Week 18 win over the Bills in January — with their current draft slot potentially putting them out of the running for top talents like Carter and Hunter.
As such, the Patriots will have to weigh multiple factors when it comes to the No. 4 pick — be it taking a prospect with concerning measurements in LSU LT Will Campbell, trading down, or reaching for another prospect at that spot.
But given New England’s dearth of elite talent and years of whiffs in the draft, the Patriots can’t afford to fumble yet another prime opportunity to build a foundation around the likes of Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez.
“We don’t want to take risks. I mean, we want to be aggressive,” Vrabel said. “I think there’s a difference between taking risks and being aggressive in adding quality players and people to the roster … You can’t win. You can’t do what we want to do with just a bunch of good dudes. That’s not going to get it done.”
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