The ideal scenario for the New England Patriots with the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft would be one of Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter being available.
Carter and Hunter are the two best players in this draft class, so to get either one of them at No. 4 is a pretty good scenario.
But what if they're both off the board? Then what should the Patriots do?
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The easiest decision would be to take LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell. He's the highest-rated tackle in the class and played at an elite level against top-tier competition in the SEC. The Patriots' most glaring roster weakness is left tackle, so it would make a lot of sense to draft Campbell.
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Campbell might not have the highest ceiling of every offensive lineman in this class, but he probably has the highest floor. The chances of him being a good, starter-level player for a long time are fairly high. There are questions about his arm length and what that might mean for him in the pros, but the tape speaks for itself.
A trade down could also make sense for the Patriots in the event that both Carter and Hunter are taken in the top three picks. They could maybe trade down for Missouri tackle Armand Membou, or perhaps Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is an awesome prospect, too. He might go in the 10-15 range of Round 1.
Which players should New England consider at No. 4? Here's a roundup of expert predictions for the Patriots in Round 1 from recent 2025 NFL mock drafts.
Phil Perry, NBC Sports Boston: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State (trade down to No. 9 with Saints); Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State (trade to No. 17 with Bengals)
Warren: "Warren can do it all from the tight end position. He aligned on the end of the line and in the slot for the Nittany Lions. He also played some Wildcat quarterback, racking up over 200 rushing yards to go along with his whopping 1,233 yards receiving. His 1,451 scrimmage yards are most by a tight end in Power Conference history.
"He's a wrecking ball after the catch, running through arm tackles with ease, and showing off the athleticism that made him an accomplished high school basketball player he goes up to high-point contest targets."
Simmons: "Mike Vrabel just spent time with the Buckeyes blind-side protector at Ohio State's pro day last month, and if he gets a good feel for how Simmons' personality would mesh in his locker room, this could be the kind of move Vrabel would be willing to make. Simmons is that talented. A smooth athlete whose agility belies his 6-foot-5, 317-pound frame, Simmons is considered to have improved significantly since beginning his career at San Diego State.
"His torn patellar tendon needs plenty of vetting. But if the prognosis is good, he would solve their left-tackle need for years to come."
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
"With Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter unavailable, the Patriots could listen to trade offers in case a quarterback-needy team wanted to jump on Shedeur Sanders. I'm not projecting trades here, but even if I were, there's a good chance New England might just stand pat and take Campbell. The Patriots allowed pressure on a league-worst 39.4% of their dropbacks last season, and Drake Maye is entering his first full season as the starting quarterback. They have to be better in pass protection.
"Campbell would slide in at left tackle. I'm not overly worried about his 32⅝-inch arms; he plays longer than that. Campbell can land a quick first punch and use his great overall technique and agility to keep pass rushers at bay. He has 38 games of experience, and pairing him with new right tackle Morgan Moses would buy Maye more time in the pocket."
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
"He might never be an All-Pro player, but the Patriots need a left tackle. Campbell has a guard look to me, but for the Pats he would be their starter on the left side. Think a Matt Light type of career."
Bruce Feldman, The Athletic: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
"Hunter is the best pure athlete in this draft. He is a rare talent, an elite cornerback who doubles as a dynamic wideout with a gas tank like college football has never seen. Other special DBs like Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey have dabbled on offense. None have played as many snaps as Hunter or made as many big plays on that side of the ball and excelled deep into games after remarkably high snap counts.
"The 6-0, 188-pound Hunter won the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s top player, the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver and the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player. He can help second-year QB Drake Maye immediately, even if cornerback is his primary position."
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
"Mike Vrabel already added pieces to the defensive front in free agency, but he can't pass up one of the elite talents in the class."
Mason Cameron, Pro Football Focus: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
"Arm length concerns don’t appear to have swayed Mike Vrabel or Doug Marrone’s view of Campbell as the class’ top prospect at tackle — a dire need in New England. Campbell’s 85th-percentile PFF grade on true pass sets across his career in the SEC should inject some life into a Patriots offensive line that ranked dead last in PFF pass-blocking grade (52.4) at the tackle position in 2024."
Rob Rang, FOX Sports: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
"The Patriots have other bigger needs, but at this point, Hunter is just too good to ignore. He's the best player in this draft and one of the most unique players I've evaluated in 25 years in the business. Mike Vrabel will love Hunter's instincts and tenacity on defense — almost as much as Drake Maye will appreciate Hunter's sharp routes and sticky hands."