The New England Patriots have had a very active offseason, and they now set their sights on the 2025 NFL Draft to put the finishing touches on what their 2025 roster will look like.
ESPN's Field Yates released his latest mock draft, in which he has the Patriots selecting Colorado dual-threat star Travis Hunter with the No. 4 overall pick.
"Hunter would change the dimensions of this offense if slotted alongside newly acquired Stefon Diggs," Yates writes. "He is a natural playmaker with elite ball skills, catching 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 scores last season."
The Patriots' night doesn't end there, though. Yates projects that New England will trade back into the first round, sending picks No. 38 and No. 77 to the Bills in exchange for pick No. 30 and pick No. 109.
"The Patriots went with the best player available at No. 4, but that meant bypassing arguably their biggest roster hole," Yates writes. "They can rectify that by getting back into the first round for another Day 1 pick. Meanwhile, Bills general manager Brandon Beane can slide down to acquire extra draft capital, similar to what he did in 2024."
With the No. 30 pick, Yates has the Patriots taking Oregon left tackle Josh Conerly.
"Despite a fruitful free agency, the Patriots could still use better protection and more playmakers around quarterback Drake Maye," Yates writes. "They had the second-worst pass block win rate last season (50.9%). Those needs and a steady supply of draft capital might embolden them to move up for Conerly, an ever-steady left tackle who had an excellent 2024 season."
Conerly is one of the top tackles in this class. He allowed just two sacks in his three seasons at Oregon. He was graded as one of the best pure pass blockers in the nation, per PFF, and also a terrific run blocker. Should the Patriots pull off a first-round haul of Travis Hunter and Conerly, their offense would be in a great place heading into the 2025 season.
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