After beating the Buffalo Bills 26-17 in Week 18 at Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots dropped in the draft order from first to fourth.
Once they wrap up their head coaching search and decide what to do in the front office, they’ll completely turn their attention to free agency and the 2025 NFL draft.
With the fourth-overall pick, New England should be able to grab one of the best non-quarterbacks still available with Sheduer Sanders and Cam Ward both expected to go in the top three.
In a recent post for ESPN, NFL draft expert Matt Miller suggested that New England should take Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
“The Patriots’ depth chart is in desperate need of repair and top-tier talent,” Miller wrote. “With the No. 4 pick, New England has to focus on adding a blue-chip prospect in a draft class that is not rich in them.
The smart move is to identify the player who can best help Maye. That decision probably comes down to a wide receiver such as Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan or Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Now that the Patriots have been knocked out of the No. 1 pick, addressing offensive deficiencies in Round 1 is the play. Several teams have been in a similar position — most recently the Cincinnati Bengals when deciding between Penei Sewell and Ja’Marr Chase in the 2021 draft — and there’s a leaguewide debate on how to best build a team. That said, good wide receivers can be found in Round 2. Premier left tackles are much harder to find. Banks should be the pick.”
The Patriots really could’ve used a legitimate starter at left tackle in 2024, as the trio of Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye and Joe Milton III had to rely on Chukwuma Okorafor (for part of the opener until he was benched and quit the team) and Vederian Lowe to protect their blind sides.
That was a big reason for New England’s offensive struggles, as the quarterbacks just didn’t have the time to get the ball out.
Miller is absolutely correct in noting that a wide receiver could also greatly benefit this team, but between free agency and picks in later rounds, they can address that need elsewhere.
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