The New England Patriots need an offensive tackle, which makes LSU's Will Campbell a safe pick at No. 4 overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
But what if they go in a different direction?
The Patriots have many other roster needs to address in the draft, including wide receiver and edge rusher.
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SIGN UP HERE On the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston's Next Pats Podcast, The MMQB's Albert Breer and host Phil Perry talked about what a wild card pick would be for the Patriots at No. 4. One name they came up with was Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker.
🔊 Next Pats Podcast: FINAL predictions for the Patriots’ draft with Albert Breer | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"If you want to talk about football makeup, Jalon Walker is off the charts," Breer said. "Georgia is really good in this area this year. The Georgia players -- Malaki Starks and Mykel Williams are both really good, too, but Walker is the one where, when you talk to teams -- he's the son of a coach, and you get him in a room and he's like a defensive coordinator. It looks like he's going to be ready to play right away.
"Some of the stuff you hear about from the meetings is just -- this guy's gonna be a captain in two or three years somewhere. I think that fits what they're looking for.
"If you look at Tennessee and what Mike Vrabel was looking for, I think the one overriding thing about the players in the front seven is he wanted disruptors. Jeffery Simmons was that. Harold Landry was that kind of player. Even guys in the secondary like Kevin Byard.
"The idea was to have guys who are disruptive, and if you look at Walker, you can be creative with him and move him around. You have to have a plan for him, you're probably not just gonna sit him on the edge."
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Walker tallied a career-high 38 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks and two pass breakups for Georgia last season.
Here's what Perry wrote about Walker in his look at best fits at edge defender for the Patriots:
"Walker is a polarizing player for NFL evaluators. His critics don't love his size -- 6-1, 243 pounds -- for full-time edge work. And they point to a relative lack of true off-the-edge experience he's compiled as an off-ball/on-ball prospect. Some have him as a second-round type.
"But the reason he makes this list, and the reason he could come off the board early in the first, is because he's a versatile front-seven defender with eye-popping closing burst, and his length and relentless motor make him an ideal quarterback spy option.
"Add to that mix that he has A+ intangibles, and he's a no-doubt fit."
Georgia does a great job developing defensive players, so if the Patriots did take Walker at No. 4, the chances of him being a bust would probably be pretty low.
Also in this episode:
- Phil's best fits at WR in the draft for the Patriots
- Best fits at edge in the draft
- Albert Breer gives his predictions for the first round of the draft
- Where do the Patriots target WR help?