New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots could have had any player they wanted in the 2025 NFL Draft if they had not won their regular-season finale.
Instead, they will have to sit and wait and perhaps alter their plans given what the three teams ahead of the them do at the top of the draft board.
And the Tennessee Titans, who own the No. 1 overall pick, might have tipped their hand Wednesday about what they are going to do when they kick off the draft.
“We won’t pass on a generational talent with the first pick in the NFL Draft,” Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker told reporters at the introductory press conference of new general manager Mike Borgonzi, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Which player does Brinker actually mean? Most signs point to Travis Hunter. The Heisman Trophy winner was a two-way phenom at Colorado and is viewed by some as the only bona fide star in the draft class.
But there’s a chance that Brinker means Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter, and that could pose a problem to the Patriots. Carter gained steam as a draft prospect thanks to a stellar junior season in which he compiled 12 sacks and showcased he can be a defensive game-wrecker.
The Patriots need a game-changing presence in the defensive front after they were last in the NFL this past season in sacks with 28. While the Patriots need major help along the offensive line and at wide receiver, Carter would solve a key issue for them. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. even had Carter landing with the Patriots in his first mock draft of 2025.
Vrabel eyeing Carter as a pillar of New England’s defense makes a ton of sense. Vrabel was a part of three Super Bowl-winning teams with the Patriots that were built off strong defense and opportunistic offenses. Vrabel’s Titans teams were built similarly.
Vrabel could go that route again, but only if Carter is still available when the Patriots select at No. 4 overall.
