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Mock drafts project Patriots will pick offensive lineman who provided recent viral soundbite
LSU's Will Campbell recently produced a humorous quote while describing the difficulty of his position.
The latest mock drafts: Because the Patriots won in the regular season finale on Sunday — defeating the Bills 23-16 at Gillette Stadium — it means the team will not have the number one overall pick heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.
Instead, the Patriots begin what is already a busy offseason (given the news of head coach Jerod May being fired) with the fourth overall pick.
Despite the attention paid to the so-called “costly” win in Week 18, having the fourth pick instead of the first choice is hardly a disaster. It will still ensure that New England will have a chance to add a top-level talent to a roster is desperate need of several upgrades.
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In that regard, the first wave of mock drafts to appear after the end of the regular season (and the finalizing of the first half of the actual draft order) offer a reassuring picture for Patriots fans.
The Pro Football Focus mock draft via Trevor Sikkema projects that New England will pick LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell.
Sikkema noted the Patriots got a quick start on offseason changes (with the firing of Mayo), but explained that “the desire to improve what was statistically the worst offensive line should remain a constant.
“Campbell will be viewed as a guard by some teams,” Sikkema added, “but he feels like a player who, with three years of good starting experience at tackle at LSU, should get his shot at tackle in the pros. Regardless, he’s a damn good lineman who would be an immediate starter in New England.”
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The USA Today mock draft by Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz also foresees the Patriots selecting Campbell fourth overall, noting that he “could be the stabilizing presence this shaky front lacks.”
One notable piece of information about Campbell is that he recently went viral for a humorous (and accurate) comment he made describing the challenges of offensive line.
“One thing we live by in the O-line room: A D-lineman gets one sack a game, and that’s the only thing he can do, 12 games? He’ll be a top-5 pick,” Campbell explained. “You give up one sack a game for 12 games, you’re going to work at Amazon. Nothing wrong with that. But whenever we’re here, this is what I’m striving for.”
Projected top 10 pick Will Campbell:
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 31, 2024
“A D-lineman get one sack a game, he’ll be a top five pick. … You give up one sack a game for 12 games, you’re gonna work at Amazon” pic.twitter.com/GOGSVRnaOu
One dissenting view came from a Bleacher Report mock draft, which has the Patriots taking cornerback Will Johnson from Michigan. The 6-foot-2 cornerback, who was a five-star recruit out of high school, could partner with Christian Gonzalez to give New England’s pass defense a high ceiling.
“Johnson’s skill set immediately improves the Patriots’ ability to defend the pass and enhances their overall defense,” said Bleacher Report analyst Cory Giddings, “giving them one of the best cornerback duos in the league.”
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The NFL Draft will begin on April 25 at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field. The Patriots currently hold nine 2025 picks, including two third-rounders thanks to the Matthew Judon trade.
Trivia: What school has produced the most NFL No. 1 overall picks?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: Because of the top selection in the 2024 draft, the school in question took the all-time lead with six No. 1 picks in what had been a four-way tie before that.
Scores and schedules:
The Celtics face the Nuggets tonight in Denver at 10 p.m.
Also tonight, the Bruins host the Oilers at TD Garden at 7 p.m.
Tomorrow, the Boston Fleet face the Frost in Minnesota at 7:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
- What current, former Patriots are saying about Jerod Mayo’s firing
- 6 takeaways from Robert Kraft’s comments about Jerod Mayo’s firing
- 12 reasons why the 2024 Patriots season turned into a disaster for Jerod Mayo, Robert Kraft
- What Bill Belichick said about Patriots’ decision to fire Jerod Mayo
- ‘This is on me’: Robert Kraft took responsibility for Patriots’ failure in 2024, Jerod Mayo’s firing
- Former MLB GM tabs Red Sox as ‘clear front-runners’ for top free-agent reliever
- Celtics’ Jayson Tatum named Eastern Conference Player of the Week
- Red Sox reportedly viewed as ‘preferred’ landing spot for Nolan Arenado
- Mike Vrabel reportedly met with Jets to ‘put pressure’ on Patriots
- Patriots reportedly request interview with Lions OC Ben Johnson for head coach opening
Parting soundbites: Patriots players gave the final word on a disappointing season.
On this day: In 1956, the Celtics defeated the Syracuse Nationals in overtime, 105-99. The star was Boston point guard Bob Cousy, whose late-game heroics and 32 points (with 11 assists) helped tip the balance in his team’s favor.
Daily highlight: Bulls guard Coby White threw down an emphatic dunk on Victor Wembanyama during a 114-110 Chicago win on Monday.
COBY WHITE THROW IT DOWN!!!
— NBA (@NBA) January 7, 2025
BULLS ICE THE VICTORY ON THIS EMPHATIC SLAM 💥 pic.twitter.com/B4YQ6Hi7G8
Trivia answer: University of Southern California
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