Now that the first few days of free agency have passed, and it’s officially a new league year, it is the perfect time to release another seven-round mock draft. We have a had a chance to see what needs the New England Patriots have filled, and also, potentially, what they are looking for in their players.
As always, I have included where the players rank on the consensus big board over at the NFL Mock Draft Database. So, let’s get into it.
Round 1
1-4: LT Will Campbell (LSU | No. 6): If both Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are indeed off the board by the time the Patriots’ first pick rolls around, there probably is not much incentive for other teams to trade up with them. So, they very well could be stuck drafting at No. 4. If so, they going to have to make a decision about who they want to take there.
Based on free agency, that might just be Will Campbell, one of the most polarizing players in the draft.
Will Campbell talking through the process of advance scouting an opponent leaning heavily on the spin + the technique needed to defeat the move pic.twitter.com/lSX21ddACM
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) January 21, 2025
It looks like the Patriots view Campbell as a tackle, and, although his arms and wingspan are scary for a prospect drafted this early, his bottom half is so technically sound that I think he might be able to overcome his shortcomings. Ultimately, everyone would feel differently if his arms were 3/4ths of an inch longer, so I don’t hate the idea of taking him if you like him that much.
He was a captain for LSU, and even awarded him the prestigious No. 7 that they give to their biggest playmaker (he had to wear it as a patch). If you believe he can play left tackle in the NFL, then this pick is a slam dunk despite the question marks.
Round 2
2-38: ED Landon Jackson (Arkansas | No. 44): The Patriots just spent a ton of money in free agency on their defensive line, but they add another piece in Jackson here.
A freakish athlete, he ran a 4.68 in the 40-yard dash, had a 40.5-inch vertical, and 10-foot-9 broad jump — all at 6-foot-6 and 264 pounds. Jackson had double digit tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons at Arkansas.
Arkansas EDGE Landon Jackson's outstanding combine shows up on tape, and he uses all kinds of technique to amplify his strength and speed. From inside/outside counters to long-arm bull-rushes to dip-and-rip, he'll help any NFL defense. Also disrupted a lot in three-man fronts. pic.twitter.com/axJwqCu8M8
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 2, 2025
As we saw with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, you need a ton of depth on the defensive line, and having a bunch of guys who can get after the passer makes life easier for your secondary. Jackson would give the Patriots another weapon to make their once-anemic pass rush a dominant one.
Round 3
3-69: WR Xavier Restrepo (Miami | No. 83): I’m not saying that Restrepo is Julian Edelman, but I’m also not not saying it. Like Edelman, Restrepo is a shorter receiver who is stout with a strong lower half. He also is a fantastic route runner and has incredible short-area quickness. Sound familiar?
Xavier Restrepo is a dynamic safety blanket who can immediately make an impact in the NFL:
• Elite production in 2023 & 2024
• 2.8% Drop + 61.5% Contested-Catch
• Savvy, reliable, natural separator
• Rock solid 200 lbs
39th on my board, currently 33 spots above projection.. pic.twitter.com/kGlOxF6wos
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) February 24, 2025
The Miami product might not be the prototypical outside receiver that Patriots fans are looking for, but getting a wideout who runs great routes, has solid hands, and is elusive after the catch is something I think all Patriots fans could get behind. All Patriots fans, and Josh McDaniels.
3-77: RB Cam Skattebo (Arizona State | No. 88): The Patriots have a good running back corps with Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, but the chance to take a player like Skattebo is too much to pass up at this point. He is a great runner, who has fantastic contact balance, and combines it with surprising burst.
We all saw the show that he put on in the college football playoff, both running and catching the ball.
I will make it a priority to leave EVERY SINGLE Rookie Draft with Cam Skattebo in round 2:
- Elite production
- Loved his traits on film
- 2,300+ all purpose yards
- 100+ missed tackles forced
- 500+ receiving yards in 2024
The NFL should treat him as a day 2 prospect. pic.twitter.com/N7OQq9LnJG
— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) February 17, 2025
Skattebo is a hard worker and a leader, and, in an offense still looking for weapons, he would be another one for Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels to use.
Round 4
4-106: DL Sai’Vion Jones (LSU | No. 113): Back to the trenches, and back to LSU. We should all be expecting Mike Vrabel and the Patriots to attack the lines on both sides of the ball, and Jones is a guy who can help out along the defensive line from possibly early on.
He is 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, and put on a show during the Senior Bowl game, playing inside and outside. He may not be the most polished player in the draft, but he would add to the depth up front, which, as mentioned above, is quite important in today’s NFL.
Having multiple players who can get after the quarterback is a great thing, and Jones will give the Patriots another developmental piece that can do that — and more.
Round 5
5-144: OL Dylan Fairchild (Georgia | No. 157): Have I mentioned there’s an emphasis on the trenches in this mock draft? Here, the Patriots go for a former state champion wrestler, who was an All-SEC and second-team All-American this past year.
Fairchild already is a very good pass blocker, and shows a ton of toughness in the run game as well. The wrestling background shows up when you see the leverage that he plays with. He’s only started 24 games, but it’s easy to see how much he has grown, so the upside looks to be high for him.
The Patriots could use some reliable players on the interior of the offensive line, especially with David Andrews now out of the picture as well, and Fairchild should fill that role nicely.
Round 7
7-217: TE Luke Lachey (Iowa | No. 211): Do I really have to convince you why the Patriots should draft a tight end from Iowa? Lachey never put up huge numbers in school, and has suffered a few injuries along the way, but he is still worth taking a shot on this late.
His testing numbers are not incredible especially in the agility category, but he’s a decent overall athlete nonetheless, and does everything pretty well. Plus, he has a huge catch radius and above-average body control.
The Patriots can use all the help they can get on offense, and Lachey is a solid developmental player. Theer is not much more you can ask for in the seventh round of the draft.
7-220: CB Jabbar Muhammad (Oregon | No. 233): On paper, Muhammad shouldn’t even be a consideration for anyone at corner. He has a small frame at 5-foot-9, 182 pounds, has short arms, and isn’t a great overall athlete, posting a Relative Athletic Score of only 2.33 at the Scouting Combine.
However, Muhammad plays with great instincts, and always seems to be around the ball. There are some guys that just overcome the odds that might be stacked against them, and Muhammad has been one of those guys: he played at Washington in 2023 and had 16 pass breakups, before transferring to Oregon and tallying another 12 last season.
Slot CB is a legit need now. Marcus Jones is awesome, but he's been injury prone.
To me, this guy can play outside, but he would be an awesome addition to the slot too. There is precedent for an undersized CB that showcased elite technique at the college level in Roger McCreary. https://t.co/XlyQePEfDa pic.twitter.com/1o1oaBp3e0
— Mighty Kaos aka Coach Williams (@mightykaos41) March 12, 2025
In the seventh round, I’m all for taking a chance on a guy who doesn’t fit the mold of what everyone thinks a player should look like. You never know what that guy could turn out to be, so it’s a coin flip worth trying.
7-238: WR Dont’e Thornton (Tennessee | No. 242): What if I told you that you could draft a 6-foot-5 receiver who runs a 4.30-second 40-yard dash in the seventh round? I think you’d sign up for that in a second.
The catch is that Dont’e Thornton just wasn’t very productive in school, tallying a mere 65 catches in 47 career games. He did, however, lead Tennessee in receiving yards (661) and touchdowns (6) last season, despite only hauling in 26 balls. He also had 6 catches of 50-plus yards last year.
He has a limited route tree, and he’s a long way from a finished product, but he’s still a big play waiting to happen and worthy of taking a shot at this point.
Donte Thornton Jr at 6’5, 6 foot 7 wingspan with 4.3 speed who averaged over 25 yards a catch this past season and 22 for his career. His route tree was so limited at Tennessee but he runs away from defenders downfield with that size which you can’t teach. Dallas it’s worth… pic.twitter.com/1ncCCtoyHU
— BlackLion of Defense (@GGOD3rd) March 2, 2025
As you can see, no trades in this one today. However, even with the Patriots staying put they are able to bring in plenty of prospects that make sense relative to their early free agency moves.