Patriots 2025 NFL Draft takeaways: A clear plan, and lots of help for Drake Maye

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For all of the concerns about the tough spot the New England Patriots were in, stuck with the No. 4 pick in a draft without a fourth blue-chip prospect, they sure yielded a heck of a haul.

They spent their first four picks building around quarterback Drake Maye, first protecting his blind side with Will Campbell, then adding explosiveness on Day 2 to what was the league’s most boring offense over the last two years. On Day 3, they addressed their remaining needs with a couple of prospects graded much higher than where the Pats took them, some intriguing value for a draft class that felt close to a home run to kick off Mike Vrabel’s tenure.

Unlike the drafts of previous years, this one seemed to have a sensible plan, and New England stuck to it. A couple of months after Vrabel took over, the Patriots roster now looks so much better than the one with which they ended last season.

“We hope that the talent level has increased. Otherwise, (team owner) Mr. (Robert) Kraft might say, ‘What have you guys been doing the last few weeks?’” Patriots executive Ryan Cowden joked Saturday. “That’s our job.”

Here are the takeaways from a Patriots draft that is likely to score high marks.

Best value pick

In recent years, this category has been pretty easy to pick out because the Patriots didn’t make that many value picks. But this class is a bit tougher.

You could argue for third-round pick Kyle Williams, given the need he fills as a deep-threat wide receiver who can separate. You could argue for Bradyn Swinson, given that the pass rusher had been viewed as a Round 3 pick and the Pats landed him in the fifth. And you could make a case for Jared Wilson, an athletic interior lineman who can play a variety of positions, whom they got late in the third round.

But instead, I’m going with Florida State defensive tackle Joshua Farmer. Most experts had Farmer as a top-100 prospect (including Dane Brugler, who had him ranked 77th), and the Pats were able to land him with the 137th pick. Plus, he fills an important role, adding size and run-stopping ability to the Patriots defensive line.

Most surprising pick

I liked so much of what the Patriots did in this draft class … with one exception. They began Day 3 by picking Craig Woodson, a versatile safety who excels on special teams and did a bit of everything over six years(!) at California, in the fourth round.

Safety has been arguably the Patriots’ best position in recent years, even with limited draft resources expended there. Jaylinn Hawkins was a nice surprise there last season behind Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger. The Pats also added Marcus Epps in free agency.

So it seemed odd to pick a safety in the fourth round, especially one whom Brugler pegged as a sixth-rounder. But on the whole, it’s a minor nitpick in an otherwise positive draft.

BRING THE WOOD @_CraigWoodson 🪵@CalFootball | #PatsDraft pic.twitter.com/ccLDp3sznP

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 26, 2025

Of course, there were some odd selections late, including a long snapper in the seventh round. But I’m not going to complain too much about seventh-round picks.

Biggest question mark

Do they have enough of a pass rush on the outside?

In what was a bit of a surprise, the Patriots waited until the fifth round to pick an edge rusher even though they entered the draft with Harold Landry, Keion White, Anfernee Jennings and K’Lavon Chaisson as their top options on the edge.

I like who they ended up picking there — LSU edge Bradyn Swinson — but I still question where the Patriots, a team that ranked last in the NFL in sacks a year ago, have done enough to consistently get after the passer. That could be an area of weakness come Week 1.

Remaining needs

I’m actually shocked at how well Vrabel and company have filled the roster holes they inherited. No longer is there one glaring need that will be easy for opponents to pick on. Sure, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. The wide receiver corps likely still ranks among the bottom 10 in the league. Same for the edge rushers. There’s a wide-open competition for left guard. But in a stunning turn, the Patriots have dealt with most of their needs.

Instead, let’s highlight their cornerback depth as a remaining need. Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis are great starters. But the dropoff on the outside is severe (Alex Austin and Marcellas Dial are the next options), and there are questions at nickel corner since Marcus Jones is injury-prone.

Post-draft outlook

Vrabel has transformed this roster in just a few months on the job. He inherited the worst roster in the league, but thanks to having the most cap space in the league and some valuable draft capital, he has turned things around in impressive fashion.

The Patriots still have a ways to go before they’re a playoff team. And there are still a lot of questions, including how the left side of the offensive line will fare, how the receivers will manage if Stefon Diggs isn’t healthy right away and if they can mount a threatening pass rush from the outside.

But after a couple of years in the NFL basement, the Patriots finally have a respectable roster again. Even if a 10-win season is still too ambitious, at long last, the Patriots appear to be headed in the right direction.

(Photo of Kyle Williams: James Snook / Imagn Images)

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