New England Patriots - NESN.com
One of the busiest weeks of the NFL offseason is upon us.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel as well as personnel executives Eliot Wolf and Ryan Cowden will travel to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. New England’s contingent will interview draft prospects while on-field workouts start Thursday.
Here are seven Patriots thoughts before the start of the NFL Scouting Combine:
Two-horse race for Patriots pick?
There’s a lot that can change, of course. But the more you hear from draft analysts the more it feels like Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter will be off the board when the Patriots are on the clock. ESPN NFL draft expert Matt Miller appeared on NESN’s “Foxboro Rush” podcast and said there’s a 100% chance one quarterback is selected in the top three picks. Two off the board in the first three is starting to feel like a long shot, though. If that proves to be the case and both Carter and Hunter are gone, New England could very well decide between offensive tackle Will Campbell and defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 4.
Will Campbell and his highly-anticipated arms
From a Patriots standpoint, one of the biggest pre-draft storylines includes Campbell’s arms. Football is funny, right? Campbell’s lack of length has some wondering whether he will be able to play left tackle at the next level. You won’t find a single measurement more important to the Patriots this week. Should Campbell exceed the 33-inch mark in Indianapolis, it would be a huge development for those in Foxboro, Mass. We’ll find out Sunday morning.
Patriots win this week if…
… If quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders impress. Sure, if you want to shoot for the stars then throw Jaxon Dart, Tyler Shough, Will Howard and Kyle McCord into the same bucket. Those guys looking like first- and second-rounders would be great. We’re going to be more realistic, though, and hope Ward and Sanders look deserving of top-3 picks. It would push others down the board. Sanders’ work reportedly will be kept private as the Colorado product will not participate in passing drills. Sanders, as other QBs have before, will instead focus on the interview process and throw at Colorado’s Pro Day. It hasn’t yet been reported what Ward will do, but the Miami product could do the same.
Travis Hunter’s preference
Hunter is sure to face questions from NFL teams behind-the-scenes and media members in front of the cameras regarding his position preference. The Heisman Trophy winner, a two-way standout at Colorado, is listed as a defensive back at the Combine, but that doesn’t mean he can’t go through receiver drills this week. Hunter could, however, focus on defensive drills and interviews in Indy and wait to show his receiver traits at Colorado’s Pro Day. Hunter’s interview is sure to be one of the most watched.
Could wide receiver catapult himself into consideration?
While we’re currently of the belief it will come down to Campbell or Graham...
