10 potential Day 2 picks in 2025 NFL Draft that could make sense for Patriots
The Patriots have three picks between Rounds 2 and 3.
The 2025 NFL Draft is just over a week away, with Round 1 taking place a week from Thursday. As draft talk has consumed much of the airwaves in recent weeks, you’ve likely heard plenty about the players whom the Patriots might take with the fourth overall pick.
But the draft is longer than one round. Luckily for New England, it is in a good place to continue to add to its roster beyond the first round, holding eight more picks.
Three of those selections are on Day 2. The Patriots will hold one of the first few picks in Rounds 2 (No. 37 overall) and 3 (No. 69 overall) due to their poor 4-13 record last season, but they also have an additional third-round pick thanks to the Matthew Judon trade (No. 77 overall).
No matter what the Patriots do with the fourth overall pick, they’ll still have plenty of needs to address. So, here are two players at each position of need (wide receiver, running back, offensive tackle, interior offensive line, edge rusher) that New England could target on Day 2 of the draft.
WR: Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel
Iowa State might not be considered an NFL factory, but it produced two of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Not many players have had a stronger process in the lead-up to the draft than Higgins. He had a strong week at the Senior Bowl before showing out at the combine. After measuring in at 6-foot-4, Higgins recorded a 4.47 40 and a 39-inch vertical. That combination of size and athleticism earned Higgins a 9.87 relative athletic score (RAS), which was the best among the receivers who competed in Indianapolis.
Higgins’s size helped him out as a boundary receiver at Iowa State last year, recording 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024. Most mock drafts have him as an early second-round pick.
Noel, meanwhile, worked more in the slot as he played next to Higgins. He was just about as productive as Higgins was in 2024 as well, getting 80 receptions for 1,194 yards and eight touchdowns. Measuring at 5-10, Noel ran a 4.39 40 at the combine, with that speed helping him record eight receptions of 50-plus yards over the last two seasons. That was the third-most in FBS over that stretch.
As the Patriots have hosted Noel for a visit, it’s easy to think that he’s on their radar. Most mock drafts have him being a third-round selection.
RB: Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and Kansas’ Devin Neal
Henderson was one of the best running backs in college football over the last couple of seasons, playing a key role for Ohio State in its title run. Splitting carries with fellow top running back prospect Quinshon Judkins, Henderson rushed for 1,016 yards on an impressive 7.1 yards per carry, and 10 touchdowns in 2024.
To go with his running prowess, Henderson has also shown some ability in the receiving game. He had six receiving touchdowns over his Ohio State career, with one coming off a screen pass as he perfectly navigated Texas’ defense in its College Football Playoff semifinal win.
Henderson’s production was backed up by his performance at the combine, where he ran a 4.43 40 and had an impressive 10-8 broad jump. That explosiveness has led to Henderson being projected as a Round 2 pick in most mock drafts.
As for Neal, he was also pretty productive in his college career at Kansas. He rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of the last three seasons, going for 1,266 yards on 5.8 yards per carry and 16 touchdowns in 2024.
Neal wasn’t terribly productive in the passing game, recording 77 receptions over his college career as he was a four-year starter. He also doesn’t have the same explosiveness as Henderson, running a 4.58 40. As a result, most mock drafts have him projected as a late Day 2, early Day 3 selection.
OT: Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. and Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery
Conerly, who has been a late first-round, early second-round pick in most mock drafts, doesn’t have the arm length (33.5 inches) concerns that top offensive tackle prospect Will Campbell has. He also has a good deal of experience at left tackle, starting at that position for Oregon over the last two seasons. He only allowed two sacks over 28 starts at the position, per Pro Football Focus.
Ersery, meanwhile, has visited the Patriots and been projected to be a second-round pick. He only allowed one sack and 11 pressures this past season, which was his third as Minnesota’s starting left tackle.
IOL: Georgia’s Jared Wilson (C) and Tate Ratledge (G)
The interior offensive line might not be as pressing of a need, but the team’s decision to release David Andrews earlier this offseason has caused some uncertainty in the offensive trenches. There are a pair of standouts, though, from Andrews’s alma mater that could make sense for the Patriots in the 2025 NFL Draft.
If the Patriots want reinforcements at center behind the recently signed Garrett Bradbury, Wilson might be the best option in the draft. The 6-3, 310-pound center can move despite his size, running a 4.84 in the 40-yard dash at the combine. That time was the best among all offensive linemen, posting the second-best RAS (9.98) for a center at the combine. He also didn’t allow a sack this past season, his first as Georgia’s starting center.
Ratledge, meanwhile, was a three-year starter at guard for Georgia. He only allowed two sacks over those three years and was named a first-team All-American this past season. Both players are projected to be drafted in Rounds 3 or 4.
EDGE: Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton and Ohio State’s J.T. Tuimoloau
Scourton and Tuimoloau showed some strong all-around play in their relatively lengthy college careers, which has both of them being projected as a possible second-round pick.
Scourton, who has visited the Patriots, was highly productive at Purdue in 2023, recording 10 sacks before transferring to Texas A&M. His numbers took a bit of a dip last year, but he still had 37 total tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble, 42 pressures, and 32 run stops.
Tuimoloau had 61 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, 51 pressures, and 39 run stops this past season. PFF graded Tuimoloau as the seventh-best run defender among edge rushers last season, showing his potential upside to be a three-down player.
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