Dolloff’s Patriots Mock Draft 3.0: New tackles and sleeper weapons

The Patriots are widely expected to draft LSU's Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick. But what if they rug-pulled the insiders and went with someone else -- and still took a tackle?

That first pick will shape the rest of this Patriots mock draft, the third and final look at the team before the real thing kicks off Thursday night. Check out Mock Draft 1.0 and Mock Draft 2.0 as well, if you're interested. It feels more and more like the Pats will indeed go with Campbell, who went fourth overall in mock No. 1.

But there's another top tackle prospect that has been rumored to be in play for New England at the No. 4 pick in the 2025 draft. Like Campbell, this tackle has his own share of questions, mainly his overall size. And there's the pesky fact that he played right tackle in college. But his athletic abilities and the pedigree of the Patriots' offensive coaching staff suggest that he could convert to the left side at some point.

Even if this first pick ends up playing right tackle, the Patriots end up investing in another who played left tackle in college. They also spend much of this mock draft filling out the depth chart at all the skill positions on day 3, where a number of intriguing prospects are expected to fall. But first two days of the 2025 draft are going to be mostly about the trenches, as many teams will invest in linemen on both sides of the ball. The Patriots are firmly in that group, as they should be.

Here's who we got heading to New England in this third and final Patriots Mock Draft of 2025...

An exceptional athlete, Membou has been lauded in multiple scouting reports for his "body control," especially in pass protection. He can mirror a pass rusher and adjust smoothly. Membou also gets credit for playing with an edge and finishing his blocks, a quality that Mike Vrabel would love.

In addition to his athletic traits, Membou is credited for his football intelligence. "[Membou] processes stunts and blitzes with veteran savvy, showing exceptional mental processing to sort through complex pressures without getting baited out of position," writes Bill Miller at NFL Draft Buzz. There's a reason that he's in the conversation among the best tackle prospects in the draft and considered a top-10 pick, despite playing right tackle at Missouri.

And there is that question for Membou, especially for the Patriots: is he capable of moving to the left side? There were concerns about his height early in the draft process, but that was when he measured at 6-foot-3. He stands at 6-foot-4 as of the combine, which is still a little under the desired left tackle size, but adequate if he can make up for it with his athleticism, smarts, and competitiveness.

It's also worth noting that he has 33 1/2-inch arms, and they could be longer, since the combine measurements consistently came in shorter than pro days.

Patriots offensive line coach Doug Marrone is confident that his prior experience would help him transition Membou from right tackle to left tackle, if necessary. It's not easy -- Tristan Wirfs is the only current full-time left tackle who played right tackle full-time in college. But if any O-line coach could pull it off, it's Marrone.

Ultimately, if the Patriots come out of this pick with a good long-term starting right tackle, that wouldn't be the worst result from what's set to be one of the most underwhelming draft classes in a long time. And Membou's athletic profile suggests that he could make the switch. It might just take some time, and there could be a storm to weather.

Vrabel turns to his alma mater to bring a powerful new interior defender to complement Christian Barmore and Milton Williams. This Williams, fresh off a national title with Ohio State, brings the level of violence to his game that Vrabel wants on that side of the ball.

Tyleik Williams is known as a big (6-foot-3, 334 pounds), strong disruptor in the middle, especially as a run-stopper, but also as a bull-rusher on passing downs. Lance Zierlein at NFL.com notes his surprising first-step quickness for a guy his size and his gap savvy, which makes him a great fit for Vrabel's aggressive, one-gap scheme. Zierlein compares Williams to Lions cornerstone nose tackle Alim McNeill.

On top of that, Williams also brings the kind of mentality that would make Vrabel fall in love. K.C. Martinez at NFL Draft Buzz wrote of Williams: "Brings an alpha dog mentality to the interior - plays with visible nastiness and seeks to physically dominate opponents."

Williams would have a chance to be the Pats' starting nose tackle from day 1, and make a three-down impact while opening up opportunities for the guys next to him to fly around and make plays.

Patriots get: Pick No. 54 and 124
Packers get: Picks No. 69 and 77

Eliot Wolf makes a contribution to the draft, helping Vrabel broker a deal with his former employer in Green Bay. The Patriots jump a pair of AFC rivals in the Bills and the Chargers, who are also seeking young pass-rush help.

And of course, the Pats take the speed rusher those teams coveted...

Umanmielen met with the Patriots at the Senior Bowl. He's a little bigger (6-foot-4, 244 pounds) than you might expect from a Vrabel-style speed rusher, but he has the requisite athleticism and explosiveness off the edge to make an immediate impact on third downs.

The quality that has scouts excited about Umanmielen is his "bend." He has the ability to get around the edge quickly and at sharp angles, which could lead to a lot of high-speed sacks at the NFL level. He's also praised for his "high-level competitive toughness" and ability to chase down quarterbacks and ballcarriers after springing free.

Umanmielen doesn't come without question marks. He doesn't have a power element to his game. That's not for a lack of toughness, but more for his overreliance on pure athleticism. If he can develop more violence to his game to complement his speed rushing, he could become a high-end pass-rushing weapon for Vrabel.

Here's the double-dip at tackle for the Patriots. There's a lot to like about Grant. He has more than enough size and length at 6-foot-5, 311 pounds with 34 3/4-inch arms. A three-year starter at left tackle, Grant is known for his fluid movements and ability to latch onto rushers with his strong hands.

There's one big, obvious question for Grant, and that's the step-up in competition. William & Mary is a Division-I school, but their primary competition in the CAA includes the likes of Delaware, Stony Brook, and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State. But the measurables and experience are there, and in New England he'd have a real chance to compete for a spot.

The other pick acquired from the Packers is where the Patriots start to take chances on day-3 skill players. Etienne, the younger brother of the Jaguars' Travis Etienne, is a well-rounded back who sees the field well. On the ground, he can make guys miss with quick cuts and good angles. His hands are reliable as a receiver, and he can utilize his skill set to evade tacklers in the open field.

The cherry on top is that Etienne is known as a good, smart pass protector. He's a guy that you wouldn't need to take off the field in any particular situation. His relative lack of top-end speed/explosiveness makes him a day-3 pick, and he also has a legal concern stemming from a 2024 arrest for DUI. But he's a versatile weapon that could make an early impact in any system.

TeSlaa is an intriguing but strange prospect. He seems to have the size (6-foot-4, 214 pounds) and athleticism (39.5-inch vertical, fourth among WRs at the combine) to play outside receiver, but he's known as more of a big slot. Still, he can do what you'd think he could do with his skill set, which is track & high-point the ball downfield, make plays in the red zone, and block at a high level.

What's also odd about TeSlaa is that for all his physical gifts, he never topped 120 yards in a game, despite being a mismatch in the slot. He also has work to do developing his route tree and improving his ability to get open early against tighter coverage. But with his size and athleticism, he has potential as a big-play guy who can line up in different spots on the field.

Fidone stands at 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds. He may need to fill out that frame a bit to last in the NFL, after injuries robbed him of essentially two full seasons at Nebraska. But he's healthy now, and he ran the second-best shuttle of all tight ends at the combine, which could interest the Patriots.

A natural pass-catcher, Fidone has the tools any NFL team would want in a receiving tight end. He's sure-handed and explosive down the field, with the route savvy to get open at the second and third levels. The concerns with him are bulking up and staying healthy. If he can accomplish those things, he could be a legit sleeper for whoever lands him.

Kendall is the only repeat prospect across all three of these mock drafts. But he makes too much sense not to reinforce as a Patriots pick in the seventh round. He's relatively small (6-foot-4, 308 pounds, 31 3/4-inch arms) and he profiles more as a zone blocker than a fit for Josh McDaniels' gap/power run scheme, but he's a smart player with sound, strong hand work.

A Norwell, Mass. native who's been working with Dante Scarnecchia, Kendall would have a chance to develop into the Pats' next starting center behind the scenes, while veteran Garrett Bradbury plays in the meantime.

Reid is only 6 feet tall and considered by some scouts to be more of a big safety than a linebacker. But he fits the classic profile of a player that outperforms his draft stock to become an NFL regular: Reid was a two-time team captain at Utah and arrives with NFL-ready intelligence and intensity.

Reid could make an immediate impact as a run-defender with the potential to grow as a leader. We believe Vrabel might have taken a liking to him when he met with the Patriots at the Senior Bowl.