New England Patriots - NESN.com
The Patriots should clear their schedules on Monday.
New England will be picking at No. 4 in the 2025 NFL Draft, and while some truly disastrous scenarios could unfold because of that, in all reality they’re in a pretty decent spot to help add some talent to the roster. Ohio State and Notre Dame will provide one last opportunity to watch real football in preparation for the marquee event, so it shouldn’t be wasted.
The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish have plenty of players that will be coveted over the next few months — shocking, we know. It’s actually so absurd that we had to omit a few names because if we’re being honest, nobody has time to talk about an entire secondary.
Seth McLaughlin and Josh Simmons (Ohio State), as well as Rylie Mills and Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame), will miss the game due to injury. Quinshon Judkins, J.T. Tuimoloau, Denzel Burke, Lathan Ransom, Jordan Hancock and Davison Igbinosun are great, but we’ll leave them off the list because this game has so many other players worth talking about.
It’s almost time for the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, so here’s a refresher of some particular names that you should be watching:
Sawyer has become something of a folk hero out in Columbus, Ohio.
The Buckeyes looked dead in the water after a fourth-consecutive loss to rival Michigan back on Nov. 30, but the man known as “Captain Jack” has them within one win from a national title after putting together unbelievable playoff performances against Tennessee, Oregon and Texas.
Sawyer is everything you’re looking for in an edge defender, as his versatility in scheme allows the team to play multiple fronts and unleash all the other talent around him. The Patriots need a player like that, and if they miss out on someone like Penn State’s Abdul Carter at No. 4, this is someone to target in the second round.
Williams might be the best draft-eligible player in this game, which is saying a lot about the talent he possesses. The Buckeyes have essentially used him as a run-game disruptor, allowing him to account for more negative plays against the opposing offense than anyone else in the CFP. New England needs to upgrade its interior run defense and could do that by targeting this player somewhere in the back half of the second round — whether it gets there by trade up or trade down.
Watts was once a wide receiver, but the last several seasons have seen him turn into one of the more disruptive safeties in college football. Notre Dame was rewarded for suggesting that position change, as he’s now a two-time All-American who essentially runs the entire defense.
The Patriots don’t need a safety all that much, but this dude is so good you almost need to watch him.
