The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, with the New England Patriots selecting 11 players throughout the three-day event.

Before any rookies step on an NFL field, we can only assess the Patriots draft process. From that standpoint, this is among the best drafts the Patriots have had in recent memory. Selecting Will Campbell as their first-round pick freed up head coach Mike Vrabel and EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf to let the board come to them rather than chasing their tail at left tackle, a need they absolutely had to fill, leading to a strong draft class.

After selecting Campbell on Thursday night, the Patriots added explosive playmakers in RB TreVeyon Henderson and WR Kyle Williams, who were ranked in the high second and third rounds respectively on consensus boards. Then, C/G Jared Wilson was graded as highly as the second round by some experts, and the Patriots drafted the Georgia center 95th overall to potentially start down the road at the pivot.

After selecting four offensive players in the first two days following an initial free agency wave focused on defense, New England bolstered its depth on defense by selecting S Craig Woodson (No. 106), DL Joshua Farmer (No. 137), and EDGE Bradyn Swinson (No. 146). My feeling going into the draft is that the Pats would benefit from adding developmental players along the defensive front in a deep class, and they patiently checked that box by taking Farmer and Swinson on day three.

Earlier this offseason, Wolf admitted that the Patriots "went for need a little too much last year." It's not that they didn't address their needs in this draft because they certainly did, but the Pats allowed the board to dictate when they pulled the trigger. For example, wide receiver was a bigger need than running back, but Henderson (32nd in my top 100) was arguably the best player on the board, so the Patriots went running back first before receiver on day two. As mentioned, they also added pass-rushers to the developmental pipeline on day three by counting on the fact that worthy flyers would be available due to the depth of the class.

Only time will tell if the Patriots picked wisely in the 2025 NFL Draft. We can like the picks in the moment but there's no guarantee they'll pan out — that's the draft for you. All we can do is assess how the decision-makers went about their business on draft weekend. New England had a solid feel for the board and tapped positions of strength in the draft along the defensive line and at running back, while still addressing needs. As a result, they got a nice haul.

Here is a pick-by-pick analysis of the Patriots 11-man draft class from the 2025 NFL Draft.

First Round, No. 4 Overall - OT Will Campbell, LSU

Pro Comparison: Jake Matthews (ATL)

We've been discussing Campbell for months, so there isn't much more to say that hasn't already been said. The 6-foot-6, 319-pound left tackle blocks with elite athleticism (9.91 RAS), fluidity, and core strength to drop a stout anchor in pass protection. Campbell is light on his feet with smooth redirects and strong grip strength to stay connected to blocks. His run-blocking tape is clean with good range, upper-body torque, and finish. Along with having top-10 caliber tape against SEC competition, Campbell has incredible football character, which was apparent in the time we spent with him on Patriots Unfiltered following the first round.

The well-known knock on Campbell is his 32 5/8-33-inch arm length and 77 3/8-inch wingspan, which would make him an outlier at offensive tackle. However, there's reason to believe that Campbell can succeed at left tackle due to his excellent movement skills and ability to recover or refit his hands when he does give up first meaningful contact. Plus, Campbell's relentless competitive drive and work ethic are apparent to everyone around him, giving him a real chance to break through his projected ceiling. The Patriots needed a blindside protector to protect the franchise, second-year QB Drake Maye, and they selected the draft's top left tackle in Campbell with their first-round pick.

Second Round, No. 38 Overall - RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

Pro Comparison: Breece Hall (NYJ)

The word to describe what yours truly was clamoring for with the Patriots offensive skill player selections was game-breakers. New England has chain-moving receivers and an early-down bruiser at running back, but Wolf acknowledged that an area of emphasis for the Pats brass in this draft was adding explosive playmakers who can create big plays. The need for speed began with the Patriots selecting a big-play back in Henderson, who should be a nice change of pace to Stevenson in the Pats backfield. Last season, 22.1% of the Ohio State's product's carries went for 10-plus yards, while he averaged 11.1 yards per catch in college.

Henderson is a loose, explosive mover with breakaway speed and instant acceleration who ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash (84th percentile). He's a blur in the open field with the ability to destroy pursuit angles while also having the smoothness to change directions as a ball carrier and route runner. Henderson doesn't project as a high-volume runner between the tackles due to his size (5-10, 202) and inconsistent contact balance. But he has three-down value as a sub-package or receiving back with plus-level skills as a pass blocker in blitz pickup.

Third Round, No. 69 Overall - WR Kyle Williams, Washington State

Pro Comparison: Rashod Bateman (BAL)

The Patriots continued the explosive playmaker theme by selecting Williams in the third round, a receiver many pundits considered among the best pure separators in this year's class. The Washington State product has the straight-line speed (4.40s 40-yard dash) and suddenness within his routes to get open at all three levels. He also averaged 8.4 yards after the catch per reception, showing off the ability to turn quick-hitters into longer gains, racking up 70 catches for 1,998 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

Williams is at his best working as a flanker off the line, where he can hunt free releases, but he also flashes an outside release package that allows him to win on perimeter routes. In fact, he ran right by second-overall pick Travis Hunter on a go route for a long touchdown in the 2023 season. Williams's release game and long speed give you hope he can line up some on the outside. That said, Williams dropped to the third round because physical NFL coverage will challenge his smaller frame (5-10, 190lbs) to play through contact. Although he has natural separation skills, Williams' routes could also use some more polishing. Overall, Williams brings a skill set that has been missing from the Patriots offense as a speed receiver with legitimate downfield separation ability.

Third Round, No. 95 - C/G Jared Wilson, Georgia

Pro Comparison: Erik McCoy (NO)

After moving on from longtime captain David Andrews this offseason, the Patriots hopefully selected their future starting center by picking Georgia's Jared Wilson after some maneuvering in the third round. Although he has some guard flexibility, Wolf confirmed that the Patriots view Wilson as a center long-term. The Pats also signed veteran center Garrett Bradbury, and with Wilson only being 21 years old as a one-year starter for the Bulldogs, Bradbury could still serve as a bridge to Wilson at the pivot. Wolf also wouldn't rule out Wilson playing some guard if the "best five" on the offensive line dictates it.

As for Wilson's tape, the Pats rookie is a highly athletic center prospect who is just scratching the surface of his potential. The Georgia product posted an elite 9.84 relative athletic score at the combine, flashing great range and bend to sink underneath defenders to leverage blocks. He also uses his wider frame and bend to set a stout anchor against head-up bull rushers. Wilson was considered the top pure center in the draft.

Fourth Round, No. 106 - S Craig Woodson, California

Pro Comparison: Cam Bynum (IND)

Woodson was the first and only pick the Patriots made that broke from consensus. The consensus media boards and my rankings certainly aren't as thorough or complete as the 32 teams – I'm not suggesting that the media knows better than any NFL team. Still, Woodson was 197th on Arif Hasan's consensus board and wasn't on my radar as a top-10 safety in this draft. Again, that says more about the media missing than the team.

Woodson played in California's split-safety heavy defense, where the Bears used their safeties interchangeably. Woodson has played split-safety, single-high safety, and has rotated into the box/short zone distribution. He has experience as a center fielder in the deep part of the field, while Woodson also covered tight ends but man coverage is not currently considered a strong suit of his game. From this perspective, Woodson is at his best as a zone defender thanks to solid instincts, good play speed (4.45s 40-yard dash), and adequate open-field tackling abilities.

During the pre-draft process, we discussed the need for a true free safety who could allow Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers to play in their natural spots closer to the line of scrimmage. Woodson fits that mold even though he went a bit higher than the projections expected.

Fourth Round, No. 137 Overall - DL Joshua Farmer, Florida State

Pro Comparison: Keeanu Benton (PIT)

The Patriots tapped a stacked interior defensive line and edge rusher class by adding developmental depth to free-agent additions such as DT Milton Williams and EDGE Harold Landry. From this perspective, getting toolsy balls of clay to give to DC Terrell Williams and Vrabel, two coaches renowned for their ability to develop defensive linemen, was smart. The Patriots showed good patience to take flyers on mid-day three prospects.

First, the Pats selected Farmer, a prospect in which they reportedly showed pre-draft interest by hosting Farmer on a '30' visit. The Florida State product projects as a rotational defender as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end or interior pass-rusher. Farmer unlocks excellent length (35-inch arms) with good snap quickness and punching power into blockers, creating separation on push-pull techniques (swim move finisher) and an effective bull rush. He was a fringe top-100 player for me pre-draft (IDL14), ranking 89th on Hasan's media consensus board. Farmer has the traits to outplay his draft slot if he becomes more consistent with his pad level and anchor against the run.

Fifth Round, 146th Overall - EDGE Bradyn Swinson, LSU

Pro Comparison: Shades of Jonathan Greenard (MIN)

Swinson was the best value pick for the Patriots on day three. The LSU product finished 68th on Hasan's consensus board and was my 87th overall player. Swinson might've fallen to the fifth round due to inconsistent film against the run, while he is an older prospect as a 23-year-old rookie. The Athletic's Dane Brugler also reported in "The Beast" draft guide that Swinson's pre-draft interviews would be important for teams to get to know him. Swinson has pass-rush specialist potential after logging 8.5 sacks and 60 total pressures in 2024.

Swinson is a speed-to-power rusher with good burst and length (33 ⅜-inch arms) to generate pop on initial contact. The Pats rookie can dent the pocket, has an effective ghost move, and inside counters. He also has a great bend to flatten the corner and pursuit speed to hunt quarterbacks. Swinson can power through blocks in the run game, especially isolated against tight ends, but needs to develop as a run defender to project him into a three-down role. The Patriots were last in sacks (28) and 29th in team pressure rate a year ago, and Swinson could improve the pass rush.

Sixth Round, 182nd Overall - K Andres Borregales, Miami

The Patriots drafted the consensus best kicker in the draft in Borregales. I'm not going to pretend to know kicker mechanics. But the skinny on Borregales is that he has a powerful, consistent leg with six makes over 50 yards in his career while going 18-for-19 on field goals last season for the Hurricanes. Patriots VP of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden also noted that the team felt comfortable about Borregales's mental makeup. As a non-kicker expert, all we can do is trust the masses, which say Borregales was the best kicker in the draft. It is notable that kicked in warm weather down in Miami, so that'll be an adjustment for Borregales.

Seventh Round, 220nd Overall - OT Marcus Bryant, Missouri

After spending most of his career at SMU, Bryant started at left tackle for Mizzou last season (opposite first-rounder Armand Membou). At this stage of the draft, Bryant is a flier, but he has some tools to work with in his raw measurables (6-7, 320 pounds, 34 5/8" arms), athleticism, and power. Bryant's taller frame and inconsistent hand strength sap his sustain skills. But he has people-moving power for gap schemes, above-average length to keep rushers at his fingertips, and tested well at his Pro Day (8.96 RAS). As a tackle-needy team, adding a late-rounder with some tools and experience at left tackle doesn't hurt.

Seventh Round, 251st Overall - LS Julian Ashby, Vanderbilt

Yes, the Patriots drafted a long snapper. Current long snapper Joe Cardona is 33 years old, so the Pats prep for life after Cardona by selecting the 6-1, 231-pound Ashby late in the seventh round.

Seventh Round, 257th Overall - DB Kobee Minor, Memphis

The Patriots acquired Mr. Irrelevant in a seventh-round trade with the Chiefs, selecting Minor with the final pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Minor is a 5-11, 182-pound corner who primarily played on the outside last season.

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer