New England Patriots - NESN.com
Welcome to the Patriots Prospect Preview, our annual series where we talk about the club’s future picks before literally anyone else! It’s time to narrow down our focus for Week 10.
The Patriots’ needs have come into focus as we sit just days away from the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline — which will strike at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
New England seems pretty content with its options at running back, though. Mike Vrabel, Eliot Wolf and Ryan Cowden didn’t seem to mind pulling from their depth at safety and outside linebacker, either. It’s almost as if they feel pretty content with their current roster and would rather fulfill those perceived needs as we approach the 2026 NFL Draft…
If you’re looking for specifics, you’ve come to the right place, as we’ll highlight a few tremendous pass-rushers and one defensive back who fits the mold of what they’ve been looking for at the position:
Week 10: vs. Vanderbilt (12 p.m. ET on ABC)
Anthony Hill Jr. had his crown as this upcoming draft’s top linebacker prospect stripped from him by Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, and in all honesty, probably has zero chance of getting it back — but don’t overlook the best player on what has been one of the best defensive units in the entire country.
Texas narrowly escaped with an overtime victory in its matchup with Mississippi State last weekend, with the junior putting together the best statistical game of his career — tallying 3.0 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss, 10 total tackles and nine quarterback pressures.
Hill will be incredibly important in trying to stop Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia in Week 10, as the latter specializes in the running game and has brutalized defenses by getting the ball to his tight ends and running backs. The Longhorns can’t afford to lose another game this season, and will almost certainly be piling responsibility on the shoulders of their veteran defensive leader.
Week 10: vs. Kansas State (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX****)******
David Bailey is just one of the many veteran defenders who transferred this offseason and found his way from Stanford, Calif. to Lubbock, Texas — with a big fat paycheck helping influence his decision.
The Red Raiders have been rewarded for their decision to hand out some serious shekels as they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot — partly due to the incredible amount of production they’ve received from Bailey, UCF transfer Lee Hunter, Georgia Tech transfer Romello Height and Northern Illinois transfer Skyler Gill-Howard.
Bailey is one of the best pure pass-rushers in the entire sport — as he currently leads all of college football with 10.5 sacks to go along with 13.0 tackles for loss and a 27.9% pressure rate, according to Pro Football Focus — and very well could hear his name called in the first round of this upcoming draft.
I’d imagine he’ll hear plenty about his...
