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David Andrews gives his take on who Patriots should draft with No. 4 pick
"He's an SEC guy. I'm an SEC guy — it's the best football."
David Andrews is no longer serving as the anchor of the Patriots’ offensive line.
But even if the veteran will no longer be tasked with keeping Drake Maye off the gridiron, the former Patriots center believes that New England’s main focus entering the 2025 NFL Draft has to revolve around bolstering the team’s O-line.
During an NFL Draft event at Gillette Stadium this weekend, Andrews — who was released by the Patriots earlier this month after a 10-year run with the franchise — appeared on a panel alongside former teammates Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty, and Brian Hoyer.
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As part of the panel, Andrews was asked for his take on which area of the roster that New England should look to upgrade with the No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft.
“I know I’m going to have a different answer than Hoyer, so I’ll get my answer,” Andrews said. “If I’m doing it and look, I don’t follow the draft that well. I hear [LSU offensive tackle] Will Campbell’s name all around. I’ll be a little biased toward him. He’s an SEC guy. I’m an SEC guy — it’s the best football.”
Andrews then took the opportunity to roast the McCourty brothers’ collegiate team, Rutgers (Big Ten), before continuing to praise Campbell’s ceiling as a franchise left tackle.
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“What do you guys play in, like the All-American conference,” Andrews asked the McCourtys. “At the SEC, we play real football. And I know this guy’s playing down there. He should be able to play here.
“Now, I know there’s other tackles, but I guess all that to be said, If I’m the Patriots, I’m addressing the offensive line. It always starts up front. It starts with the offensive line. It doesn’t matter if you got Randy Moss on the outside. If you can’t block anybody. It doesn’t do any good.”
Andrews’ musings are accurate when it comes to New England’s O-line woes serving as a root cause of the team’s extended offensive struggles over the last few years.
Poor pass protection and run blocking led to both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe getting pummeled throughout the 2023 season, and the results weren’t much better for a 4-13 Patriots team in 2024.
Last season, the Patriots gave up 52 sacks this season, the most sacks allowed by the team in a single season since 1999.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots ranked last in the NFL in pass block win rate (50.8%) this season, according to ESPN Analytics. They also ranked last in run block win rate (67.6%).
Given Campbell’s standing as arguably the top tackle on the 2025 NFL Draft leaderboard, it comes as no surprise that several mock drafts over the last few months have tabbed Campbell as the Patriots’ pick at No. 4.
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But concerns over Campbell’s arm length and whether or not he’d be better suited as a guard at the NFL level has made him a potentially risky selection for New England at No. 4 overall, even with the pressing need for a franchise tackle on the O-line.
Recent mock drafts from ESPN and NFL.com have the Patriots taking reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the No. 4 pick — a great pickup for a New England roster that could utilize him both as a cornerback and dynamic wide receiver.
But even if Hunter does fall to New England at No. 4, the Patriots still need to find a way to add a tackle to their roster after whiffling on offseason targets like Ronnie Stanley.
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