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Patriots fans won’t like this discouraging outlook at 2025 NFL Draft class
"It's a unique class, one where scouts have to make their money."
The 3-10 Patriots will have a prime opportunity to shore up an area of their roster this spring in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Much like last April when New England added a future franchise quarterback in Drake Maye (No. 3 overall), the Patriots should be positioned to make another top-five selection in 2025 given their lackluster record — and a daunting final four games against the Cardinals, Bills (twice), and Chargers.
But even if there are several potential areas that New England could target such as the offensive line, wide receiver, or even a playmaker on defense, the Patriots may not exactly have an abundance of franchise-changing talents to pick from in the coming months.
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While the 2024 NFL Draft was littered with top prospects like Maye, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jared Verse, and others — the 2025 class is a bit more underwhelming.
Speaking with NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry on the “Next Pats Podcast”, CBS Sports draft expert Mike Renner offered up a discouraging outlook at the 2025 grouping of draft picks.
“It’s really bad, yeah,” Renner told Perry. “It’s because the premier positions that you would ideally want to take at the top of the draft — offensive tackle, wide receiver, and I would say defensive end, to a degree — I think this defensive end class is insanely deep, but there’s no guy I’m going to have a top-five grade on. There’s no Will Anderson waiting for you, someone you know for sure when you draft him that you’ve got a good one.
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“It’s a unique class, one where scouts have to make their money. If you had a top 10 pick last year, you didn’t have to be a good scout. You could have thrown a dart and hit a player who’s All-Pro caliber. … This year, I don’t think that’s going to be the case.”
For Renner, the 2025 NFL Draft figures to have plenty of intriguing options at running back, safety, and off-ball linebackers.
However, he compared this upcoming class to the 2022 NFL Draft class — which featured a few standouts like Aidan Hitchinson (No. 2), Sauce Gardner (No. 4), Drake London (No. 8), and Garrett Wilson (No. 10), but wasn’t loaded with impact talent.
“It’s reminiscent of the year Travon Walker and Aidan Hutchinson went No. 1 and No. 2,” Renner said. “I think it’s a little better than that year’s class, and there are a couple quarterbacks that will make it interesting at the top, whereas that year didn’t have the QBs. But it’s much closer to that level of talent than we’ve seen the last two years.”
Even if New England may not have slam-dunk, future-superstar targets to pick from in April, the Patriots should still have the opportunity to select players who should help them in 2025 and beyond, be it a tackle like Will Campbell or a wide receiver like Tetairoa McMillan.
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