The pre-draft process for the 2025 NFL Draft continues, with the NFL Scouting Combine taking place in its home in Indianapolis this week.

Following the college All-Star games, teams have spent the last several weeks creating a preliminary draft board in scouting meetings. With all the on-field exposures banked from the college football season to events like the Senior and Shrine Bowls, no more actual football is left to be played. Now, it's about information-gathering events like the combine. The on-field drills, such as the 40-yard dash, have diminished in importance due to in-game tracking data advancements, but weigh-ins, medical checks, and interviews are critical. The combine still has a purpose for the draft prospects and sets the table for free agency in March.

From a scheduling standpoint, the league's top executives and head coaches kick things off in Indy with press conferences set to begin on Tuesday. We'll hear from Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel (Tuesday, 10:15 am ET) and EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf (Wednesday, 1:00 pm ET) in Indianapolis. Then, the defensive line and linebackers are first up in the player rotation, as they'll speak to reporters on Wednesday, followed by the first on-field workouts on Thursday at 3 pm ET on NFL Network.

Along with the latest on the 2025 NFL Draft, we'll monitor the scuttlebutt around the league and the Patriots regarding free agency. Teams aren't permitted to speak to pending free agents until the legal tampering window opens on March 10. However, information trickles out about the expected market for certain players, whether they're set to be free agents or possible trade candidates. Typically, those big-picture conversations begin in Indy this week.

While keeping the rumors about the veteran landscape in mind, here are eight storylines from a Patriots perspective to monitor at the combine.

1. Top QBs Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward Continue Pre-Draft Process

New England appeared to luck out by being a quarterback-needy team with a high draft pick in a year where the first round was loaded with elite quarterback prospects in 2024.

By securing the franchise's future in second-year QB Drake Maye last offseason, the Patriots avoided needing to talk themselves into either Sanders or Ward in the 2025 draft. Although most view the top two quarterbacks in this year's class as first-round caliber in this particular draft, the truth is that Ward, who is receiving the highest grades from teams among the QBs, would've likely been QB4 or QB5 in last year's draft, somewhere in the Penix-McCarthy-Nix tier.

However, there's a trickle-down to the Patriots at No. 4 overall that makes monitoring this year's quarterback class important. For example, it would be massive for New England if Sanders, Ward or both went in the top-three picks, pushing down top prospects Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. It could also behoove the Pats for the No. 4 draft choice to become a quarterback pick, with a team wanting to trade up to secure Sanders or Ward if they're still available.

From watching these two prospects a bit on film, Ward is a thickly built gunslinger. The Miami product is a loose, explosive thrower with outstanding arm talent and the ability to deliver the ball from multiple arm angles. He has a playmaker gene but needs to know when to reel it in, so decision-making and processing will be areas to develop. If you really like him as a prospect, there are shades of Russell Wilson to his game. As for Sanders, he wins more with natural throwing mechanics to produce good accuracy, touch, and timing from the pocket. Sanders isn't an overly dynamic athlete or passer, but he's accurate and shows good instincts for the position. If you really like him as a prospect, there are shades of C.J. Stroud to his game.

The Patriots aren't in the market for a quarterback in this cycle, but how the quarterbacks come off the board will directly impact their draft plans.

2. LSU OT Will Campbell's Arm Length Heard Around the World

The biggest Patriots-specific storyline at this year's combine is measuring another man's arms. After ranking last in pass-blocking win rate for two consecutive seasons, New England's biggest need this offseason is upgrades on the offensive line. We can debate whether or not a team must have elite line play to win, but it's not debatable that it needs to be adequate. The Patriots didn't meet that requirement last season.

There's also zero debate that Campbell is the best blocker in this year's class. However, there's some concern about the LSU product sticking at left tackle in the NFL due to shorter arms and a propensity to be over-aggressive in his pass sets, opening the inside track to the quarterback. In recent years, the threshold has moved slightly, with most teams operating on 33-inch arms being the minimum for offensive linemen to remain at tackle in the league. Currently, about a dozen starting NFL tackles are playing the position with roughly 33-inch arms, proving that the old 34-inch threshold was a bit antiquated. The rumored measurement for Campbell is 32 ⅞ inches, which would spark a debate about whether an eighth of an inch makes a difference.

When the linemen weigh in on Sunday morning, we'll finally get an official measurement on Campbell's arms. Campbell has the foot speed, balance, and core strength to stick at OT. If he meets the minimums to play the position, the LSU product will be a prime candidate for the Pats at the top of the first round.

3. Ohio State OT Josh Simmons's Medical Check on Knee Injury

Along with Campbell's arm length, the other major domino to fall in the offensive tackle class is Ohio State blindside protector Josh Simmons's progress on his surgically repaired knee. Last October, the promising tackle prospect tore his patellar tendon in the Buckeyes' regular-season matchup vs. Oregon. For reference, Patriots G/C Cole Strange sustained the same injury at the end of the 2023 season (Week 15), and didn't return until Week 17, 2024. The injury knocked Strange out for a calendar year.

Although he's a great prospect, Simmons could be in for a "redshirt" rookie season and might not be available to play at the next level until 2026. The other layer to the injury is , sans 23 snaps vs. Oregon, Simmons was sidelined before Ohio State played the meat of their schedule. He dominated lesser competition, showing explosive, powerful movements that have drawn comparisons to Vikings stud OT Christian Darrisaw. However, we'll never know if Simmonss significant improvements from 2023 to 2024 would've continued once Ohio State got to tougher opponents later in its championship-winning season.

Simmons is a prototypical tackle prospect, with ideal measurables and athletic traits. Plus, his tape from the beginning of the 2024 season was outstanding. Still, he's a risk due to the injury, and you're banking on a 5.5-game sample size. Where he is in his recovery and if there are any long-term concerns about Simmons's knee will be huge for his draft stock. Right now, he's a projected late-first, early-second rounder.

4. Travis Hunter, Listed as Defensive Back, to Work Out at Both CB and WR?

Another notable tidbit is that Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is officially listed as a defensive back at the combine. The two-way phenom will interview and work out as a defensive player, but the guess here is that Hunter will also do on-field drills at wide receiver on Saturday. If he does any athletic testing, that'll be with the DBs, but the Colorado product could do position drills with both the corners and wideouts. There's also a chance that Hunter waits to work out at Colorado's Pro Day.

The consensus is that Hunter is a better cornerback prospect than a receiver, with many projecting that he'll play corner full-time with wide receiver packages at the next level, like Patriots CB/gadget receiver Marcus Jones. However, some feel that Hunter is a better receiver, or at least could be more impactful to a football team playing on offense.

Along with seeing where Hunter works out, it'll be interesting to hear from the Heisman winner himself at the podium. Hunter will field questions about his preferred position at the next level publicly and privately. Whoever drafts the uber-talented CB/WR will need a previously agreed-upon plan with Hunter on his usage in the pros.

5. Arizona WR Tet McMillan's Athletic Profile and 40-Yard Dash Time

As we mentioned, athletic testing is slowly being phased out by many teams around the league in favor of in-game tracking data. Fans get a taste of the modern technology to track players' speed in games with NextGen Stats. However, there's still some weight put into the 40-yard dash because it's an even playing field for all the prospects. It stands to reason that a player running 50 yards in a straight line during a game will reach higher top speeds than others who aren't afforded those runways.

There's also the debate about whether or not things like the 40-yard dash actually translate to being a good pro. As we know in New England, former wideout Tyquan Thornton ran a blazing-fast 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 scouting combine, whereas Julian Edelman ran a more modest 4.52-second 40: who was the better pro? Easy answer.

That said, McMillan's biggest questions as a receiver are his top-end speed and ability to separate on vertical routes from outside the numbers. Although it's not everything, if McMillan runs and runs well, it will force this scribe to revisit his film to see if he has deceptive speed. Based on the eye test, most predict McMillan will run in the low 4.5s, which is good enough for his size (6-5, 210) but still below average. It could change my evaluation slightly if the Arizona product puts down a faster time. Currently, McMillan feels like a reach at No. 4 overall.

6. Oregon WR Tez Johnson Aiming for Xavier Worthy's 40-Yard Dash Record

Speaking of 40-yard dash times, it's always fun to predict who will have the fastest time in the class and maybe has a shot at setting a new 40-yard dash record. Last year, Chiefs wideout Xavier Worthy set a new combine record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash. Based on the film, Johnson could test Worthy's record. Although he's lacking in size (5-9, 156), Johnson is a burner who is shot out of a cannon with excellent initial burst in his routes and after the catch. The Oregon product is also lightning-quick at the top of routes, so he could be a top athletic tester.

7. Defensive Prospects Worth Monitoring at the NFL Scouting Combine

The most popular mock draft picks for the Patriots are Campbell, McMillan, and Michigan DT Mason Graham unless Carter or Hunter somehow fall. But don't sleep on Bulldog defenders Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams. Walker is a hybrid linebacker who can impact the game from all over the defense, specializing in range from off the ball and using his speed/quickness to win in the pass rush. Walker has drawn comparisons to former Patriots LB Jamie Collins for his freakish athleticism and versatility.

As for Williams, he's a raw but toolsy prospect with high-end athletic traits who needs more seasoning to build a pass-rush plan and counters. With two experienced front-seven gurus coaching the defense in Vrabel and DC Terrell Williams, the sky's the limit for Williams in the right hands. He could have a Travon Walker-like rise with a big combine. Lastly, Graham's biggest testing numbers are his 10-yard split and agility testing. The Michigan DT flashes a great first step and lateral agility to slither around blocks, so you'd like to see that translate in Indy.

Overall, the strength of this year's draft is the front-seven talent on defense. It's an excellent group of defensive linemen and edge rushers. As a team that ranked 29th in pressure rate last season, the Patriots figure to be extremely interested in this group.

8. Local Connections and Possible Patriots Ties

To identify some prospects to watch further down the draft board, there are a few players with obvious Patriots connections in Indy. First, QB Drake Maye's former North Carolina teammates, TE Bryson Nesbit and RB Omarion Hampton, are worth mentioning. Both offensive playmakers caught passes from Maye during his Pro Day in Chapel Hill last spring, so along with Maye vouching, the Pats scouts saw these prospects up close already. Hampton is a terrific running back prospect specializing in generating yards after contact but is a projected top-50 pick, so that might be too early for the Pats to draft a running back.

Nesbit is far more interesting because he could get buried in a deep tight end class. Last season, Nesbit suffered a broken wrist that ended his season early. In two seasons with Maye as his quarterback, the explosive receiving tight end had 507 and 585 yards and nine touchdowns. Nesbit is a classic seam-running threat with a large catch radius, making him a mismatch weapon in the middle of the field. He could be the high-upside developmental tight end the Patriots target behind veteran starter Hunter Henry. Generally speaking, this running back and tight end class is tremendous, making those positions the strength of the draft on offense.

Lastly, Norwell, Mass., native and Boston College OT Ozzy Trapilo is a name to know this week. Trapilo was the Eagles' starting right tackle over the last few seasons, playing for Bill O'Brien in Chestnut Hill. Pats offensive line coach Doug Marrone was a Senior Analyst on O'Brien's staff last year, while Pats Hall of Fame line coach Dante Scarnecchia has also worked with Trapilo. Out of any prospect in this draft, Trapilo might be the easiest to project as a target for the tackle-needy Patriots. He has the upside to be a starting right tackle in the NFL.

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