Mock Draft Mailbag 3.0: Final thoughts

It's the final full week before the 2025 NFL Draft, which means it's time for our final Mock Draft Mailbag of the year. For those that missed the first two, they can be found here and here.

For those who are new to the exercise, we take a look at fan-submitted mock drafts and react to the different players and scenarios presented. This time around, there were certainly a lot of different avenues explored.

This final edition of the Mock Draft Mailbag had over 50 submissions, among the most since we introduced the idea three years ago. With all of those mock drafts there are bound to be some overlaps. For players or trades that appear repeatedly, I'll mention them once. Assume that reaction applies to other drafts where the same pick or trade is made.

Alright, let's get started...

Note: The way these tweets are displayed, some of the mocks are cropped. You’ll have to open them in Twitter/X to see the full draft.

Starting off strong with a draft that I think has a good chance at reflecting the Patriots' approach this year. Will Campbell still feels like one of the most likely targets for the Patriots - there's a strong case to be made he's the best player on the board if Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are both gone.

The trade back up into the first round is something we know the Patriots' tried to do last year, and with and extra top-100 pick they should try again, although I'd rather move a third-round pick in this weaker draft then one from next year which is expected to be deeper. Still, the Patriots land a high-end pass rusher in Nic Scourton, and then move up again to add their 'X' receiver in Tre Harris.

Later on there are a couple of other Patriots fits in Wyatt Milum and Cam Horsley. Milum projects mainly as a guard in the NFL but could offer depth at all five positions. Horsley and play multiple spots on the defensive line, and worked with Doug Marrone at Boston College last year.

If Abdul Carter falls, the Patriots will have to decide which of their next big needs - wide receiver or left tackle - they'll wait on. I'd agree that tackle should get the priority, but Josh Conerly falling to Pick 38 does seem like a longshot, they might have to trade up to get this done.

After addressing the trenches with another interior defender in Shemar Turner and potential future center in Jared Wilson, the Patriots add some speed and explosiveness to the offense with Terrance Ferguson as a developmental tight end and Bhayshul Tuten as a running back. Pick 144 would be a bit of a fall for Tuten, but it could happen if teams are worried about his ball security issues. The Patriots then grab an 'X' receiver in Pat Bryant.

We've looked at a Will Campbell draft and Abdul Carter draft, so it makes sense to mix a Travis Hunter draft in too. As unrealistic as it might be at this point for Hunter to fall to Pick 4, what would the plan be if he does? Getting a tackle with the next pick would make the most sense. If the team is sticking at Pick 38, the best realistic case is Aireontae Ersery, a massive tackle at 6-foot-6, 331 pounds who with the right coaching can become an overpowering force on the edge.

Later on in this draft I do like Jaylin Noel as a player, but his role and Hunter's would likely overlap. He's very explosive, but is likely just a slot receiver. It might make more sense in this scenario to grab an 'X' receiver there like Tory Horton from Colorado State. Deone Walker also may be more realistic with that pick, although he could fall if teams are really worried about his floor as a true upside player. Jaydon Blue at Pick 171 may also be after a fall.

In the 200s, Jackson Hawes would be a great pick in that range, giving the Patriots a true blocking tight end. Dominic Zvada would be an excellent kicker pick - but he returned to school and actually isn't in this draft.

The other seemingly likely pick for the Patriots at No. 4 is Jalon Walker, who got a lot of attention last week. Walker can play both as an off-ball linebacker and rush off the edge, and the Patriots' defensive coaching staff should be able to make the most of his positional versatility. The question is, do they think he can do enough to justify taking him over a potential starting left tackle?

After adding a tackle in Ersery, the Patriots get to work getting some more weapons for Drake Maye. That starts with Gunnar Helm, who is a quarterback-friendly chain-moving tight end, followed by a well-rounded running back in Cam Skattebo.

The Dont'e Thornton addition is a ceiling pick. Thornton is a speed 'X' receiver who ran a 4.30-second 40 at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. However he runs a limited route tree and is primarily a deep threat. Some fans may see shades of Tyquan Thornton (no relation) but Thornton has more size and play strength. Plus, he's going 60-plus picks later in this scenario.

This is a good job of showing the risk that comes with trading down. As Coves points out, in the gap between Pick 4 and Pick 9, Will Campbell came off the board. It's possible Armand Membou could go in that range as well, but here he falls to Pick 9. A career right tackle, the Patriots will have to work with him on switching sides of the offensive line though, which is hardly an easy task. Ozzy Trapilo does add some insurance at the position, but projects mainly as a right tackle.

Using the extra pick this draft beefs up the defensive front adding a defensive tackle in Tyleik Williams and then a rusher in Donovan Ezeiruaku who profiles as a fit in Mike Vrabel's defense. Dylan Sampson at Pick 106 could beome a reality if he falls that far. He brings speed and passing down skill, two things the Patriots seem to be looking for at the running back position.

If the Patriots do trade down and miss on the top two tackles, Kelvin Banks would be the next option. If both Campbell and Membou go in the top eight picks it's likely a sign there's going to be a significant run on tackles, so the Patriots might be better off getting Banks while they can, rather than waiting and seeing who - if anybody - falls. Banks still projects to be a solid starting NFL left tackle, but doesn't have the upside of Campbell or Membou.

Later on, the Patriots get the other half of the Texas bookends in the Longhorns' right tackle Cameron Williams. Williams is relatively inexperienced, with 15 of his 16 career starts coming last season. Still, he could be an option to develop behind Morgan Moses and eventually take over at right tackle. He might also have some guard versatility.

There's one other good offensive line pick later on in this mock draft. Seth McLaughlin likely would have been the top center in this class, but he tore his Achilles in late November. While he may not play in 2025, for a team like the Patriots looking for a long-term answer at center he'd be a good developmental pick on Day 3.

With the way things are trending, Matthew Golden is probably more of a trade-down than a trade-up candidate for the Patriots at this point. This doesn't list the whole trade, but I'd hope there's a future top-50 pick involved moving all the way back to 14.

After that, the Patriots get some real help from the board here. Josh Conerly at Pick 38 and Omarion Hampton at Pick 44 would be great, but probably aren't realistic. The same goes for Jack Sawyer at Pick 171.

I do like the way this draft addresses defense, getting players who it should be easy for the team to elevate. Both Carson Schwesinger and Princely Umanmielen would add explosiveness to the defense, and Mac McWilliams would add depth at multiple positions on the defense - especially slot cornerback.

Finally, quarterback Nathan Rourke stylistically makes sense as a potential backup for Drake Maye.

I'm not exactly sure what happened here (were there multiple trade downs?) but I'd like to see the Patriots end up with more future picks moving all the way down to Pick 32. Still, this draft does a good job of hammering the trenches with the extra assets they picked up. Derrick Harmon would add good size and power to a smaller group of defensive tackles, while Wyatt Milum could compete for the starting jobs at left guard and center, while offering depth at all five offensive line spots.

Now this is a trade down I could get behind. Going all the way back to Pick 21 is a significant move but the Patriots add three top-100 picks, including a future first - so they'd be able to move back up next year after dropping so far this year.

The Patriots get right to work helping Drake Maye here, adding a very quarterback-friendly receiver in Emeka Egbuka, who profiles as an ideal fit in Josh McDaniels' offense. They also get him a player in Conerly who should be able to start at left tackle right away. Later on they add an upside project tight end in Terrance Ferguson and a passing-down back with speed in converted wide reciever Brashard Smith.

On defense the Patriots continue to focus on the front. Kyle Kennard is a speed rusher, while Alfred Collins is raw but has intriguing tools with his athleticism at 6-foot-6, 332 pounds. On the back end, Malachi Moore should be able to take some deep safety snaps allowing Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers to play in the box.

The idea of the Patriots starting off their draft with a tackle and then a guard isn't being talked about enough. There are some really good guards that should be available around Pick 38, including potentially Tyler Booker. At 6-foot-5, 321 pounds Booker is one of the most physical, high-motor blockers in this draft. He was also a team captain at Alabama. Overall, he fits incredibly well into what the Patriots seem to be building.

That said, the Josh Simmons pick would worry me a bit. Simmons suffered a torn patellar tendon in October. It's the same knee injury that kept Cole Strange off the field for a calendar year, and is a tough one to make a full return from. The Patriots aren't exactly in a position where they can afford to use their top draft pick on a player who won't play as a rookie and might have longer-term injury concerns, so the medicals would really have to check out for this pick.

I do like some of the defensive chances this draft takes late. Nick Martin in particular is an interesting one - he had a dominant 2023 season, but doesn't have much tape beyond that after missing most of 2024 due to injury. He's a true projection, but not a bad lottery ticket later on Day 3. Bilhal Kone showed a lot to like in man coverage at Western Michigan, with his evaluation being based on how he'll handle the step up in competition.

The conversation about Luther Burden at Pick 38 is an interesting one. Burden had an outstanding season in 2023, and back in the fall was expected to be in the running to be the top receiver in this draft. However, bad quarterback play limited his production and led to him showing frustration in 2024. Some of those 'outbursts' could lead to him dropping with experts suggesting teams have questions about his mental makeup. With the Patriots putting an emphasis on culture, would they take advantage of Burden falling at 38?

This draft also does a good job of addressing the offensive line on Day 2. Trapilo could be a future starting right tackle, and Jared Wilson has good upside as a developmental center.

If the Patriots don't want to take Luther Burden at Pick 38 (or he simply doesn't fall to them) but still want to add explosiveness and a YAC threat on Day 2, Kyle Williams would be a great option. Williams can get open at all three levels, and is a threat with the ball in his hands. As an older prospect who had a late breakout he may fall due to concerns about his ceiling, but at that range in the draft the Patriots may be more considered about NFL-readiness, which Williams appears to have.

Andrew Mukuba is another player I really like for the Patriots, but Pick 106 might be a little late for him. He's another true free safety who would allow the Patriots to maximize Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers.

Getting Will Campbell and Tyler Booker at the top of the draft, then pairing them with a truly bruising runner like Quinshon Judkins (who would be a steal at that range) would be a really fascinating setup. There wouldn't be many teams - if any - that could out-muscle the Patriots on the ground. If Mike Vrabel wants to bring back the bully-ball style his Titans teams played with, this group would certainly do that.

Also on offense, this draft adds Harold Fannin Jr. at tight end. Fannin is a fascinating prospect who dominated at Bowling Green including big games against a pair of Power 4 opponents in Penn State and Texas A&M. However he wins more on outright physicality than anything else, and may be a 'scheme-touch player' at the next level. His game is somewhat reminiscent of Jonnu Smith, who struggled in Josh McDaniels' offense.

The talk of the Patriots taking Tetairoa McMillan at Pick 4 has really cooled off since the Combine. Still, Vrabel talked at the Combine about how hard it can be to find a true coverage-dictating wide receiver outside of the draft. If the Patriots feel he has that upside, he could be higher on their board than expected (but still feels more likely as a trade-down candidate).

The last two names in this mock are also good ones to know for Patriots fans. Cam Jackson is a big, athletic defensive tackle who is still pretty raw but has similar tools to those this defensive coaching staff has worked with in the past. Jo'Quavioius 'Woody' Marks checks the boxes of a passing-down back.

I like the qualifiers put on this mock draft. Again, the main purpose of this exercise is to learn new players, so it can be good to put on some limitations for different drafts that force you to look at new names.

There are certainly players here Patriots fans should be aware of. Jacob Parrish is a slot cornerback who would give the team depth behind Marcus Jones at that position, and has the upside to start down the road - which is notable with Jones entering a contract year.

Isaac TeSlaa is a big slot receiver who can stretch the field from that spot - at the Combine he ran a 4.43 40 at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds. His underneath game still needs work, but if he can develop in that regard he'd be a pretty complete slot receiver who also can be a plus player on special teams.

Jake Majors is another potential long-term answer at center. He's undersized for the position, but makes up for it with athleticism and a tremendous football IQ.

After a realistic trade to move up and take Josh Conerly this mock draft is another that embraces the idea of investing heavily on the offensive line. Tate Ratledge brings a ton of experience as a three year starter for Georgia, but would be moving from the right side to the left in New England. It's an easier move than swapping sides at tackle, but it's not nothing.

Billy Bowman is another hybrid defensive back who would fit well with what the Patriots' need. He projects to be able to play both the slot and deep safety.

That Quinn Ewers pick is an interesting one. He's certainly fallen from how he was viewed this time last year, but if the Patriots are worried about the tone in the QB room, they may look elsewhere to find a third quarterback rather than adding a former five-star recruit who led his team to back-to-back playoff appearances.

Johnny Walker Jr. seems like the kind of player this defensive coaching staff would like working with. He's projected lower due to his size (6-foot-2, 249 pounds), but his technique is solid and he plays with a high motor.

First off, these are creative trades. Combining their picks in similar rounds to move up is a good way for the Patriots to get aggressive without creating any major pick gaps.

At the top of this draft, Donovan Jackson is definitely another player who could be a part of a 'tackle-guard' draft. Jackson's experience playing some left tackle for the Buckeyes last year adds to his value as well, as he'd offer depth at a position where the Patriots don't really have any.

Making Brady Cook the quarterback pick makes sense, if the Patriots want to try to flip another toolsy player at the position. That's something we discussed last week.

There were a few submissions to this mailbag including kickers at the end of the draft, whether it be Tyler Loop, Andres Borregales, or Ben Sauls. All are certainly options, but it's worth noting the Colts released kicker Matt Gay last week. Gay, who has worked with Patriots special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer before, might make more sense as a more proven option to compete with John Parker Romo, who has only played in four NFL games.