Patriots News 4-27, Breaking Down The Draft Prospects
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Good morning. Here are your Patriots news 4-27 and notes for this week. For those who check out our podcasts, we have transitioned to a new name, “Patriots No-Huddle, which will still be carried on the Patsfans.com Twitter account and our Facebook page as well.
Mike D’Abate from SI has joined Derek Havens and me. Mike is a super guy that I’ve known since our early days covering the team down at Gillette. His knowledge is outstanding, and while he’ll continue as an everyday beat writer for SI at Gillette, we’re honored to welcome him to the podcast full time.
We’re not changing the podcasts, but we may add shorter ones, as we’ll try to keep our readers and listeners up to date on the latest news from Foxboro and the NFL.
Russ Goldman, a very close friend of ours, will forever be part of the show and will still join us occasionally. But he has a great opportunity brewing with his soccer podcast, and his efforts will be dedicated to making his show bigger and better. Patriots 4th & 2 would have never happened without Russ; we were all partners for 14 years. And it isn’t the end; it is a new beginning and only a chance for us all to build up the podcasts.
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The NFL Draft was conducted in Green Bay for the first time. And the Patriots had a heck of a three-day draft. At least on paper, for now, they addressed all their needs with some very intriguing players.
The NFL Draft began on Thursday night, and it was a bit of an anticlimax for the Patriots. The top four draft picks went exactly like most thought they would. Will Campbell has been mocked to the Patriots since January, so it wasn’t a surprise.
We’ll break down all the draft picks below. It was a very good draft for the Patriots, as they addressed needs and found some outstanding players in the process. Mike Vrabel continues building his culture as they’re bringing in high-character guys.
Will Campbell: The new Patriots left tackle was introduced at Gillette Stadium on Friday and spoke with the media for the first time as a member of the team. And he started off talking highly about Drake Maye.
“Yeah, I mean, that’s my quarterback,” Campbell said when asked if he’d spoken with Maye. “So, I’m just super excited to continue to build the relationship with him, get to know each other as people. It’s something I’m looking forward to.
“I’m a quarterback guy. I care about him a lot off the field and on the field. We were able to talk. … We just talked for a little bit … It was short and sweet, but that relationship will continue to grow more as I’m up here.”
“The proof is in the pudding with this place, and that’s something that I want to be a part of,” Campbell added. “So, for me to be able to represent this organization, wear that logo on the side of my helmet and on the front of my jersey, it’s everything I could ever ask for.”
“Culture is everything. Culture wins you games,” he said. “That goes for any stage of any sport, whether it be high school, college, NFL. That’s what’s going to set you up for success in the long run because whenever you have that bond, the trust in the guy next to you and that relationship, you’re willing to do whatever to make sure that you succeed and not let the guy next to you down.
“I want everybody on the field to know that I’m going to give them everything I have. I want them to have full trust in me that I’m going to execute my job, and let’s just go win some games.”
Kyle Williams: On his conference call with the media, Williams was asked about head coach Mike Vrabel.
“I loved him, you know. Big dude. I had mistaken him for an O-lineman, but he was a linebacker. In my opinion, he could have went to the NBA, but a dude that—he loves the game. You can hear it in his voice, the passion that he comes with, you know he is a man of standards. He wants to work, and that’s what I can come in and help bring to the organization.”
TreVeyon Henderson: Great nugget from the new RB, when he was asked about taking inspiration from his mother.
“Yeah, she inspires me a lot, and definitely. When I was younger, seeing all the sacrifices, everything that she had to sacrifice to help provide for me and my other two brothers, she worked really hard.
“When times got tough, she didn’t give up. That was more so my encouragement when I first got to Ohio State. When times got tough, just seeing everything that she went through, and her not giving up encouraged me. When times got tough, do not give up. I’m thankful.”
Joshua Farmer: The new defensive tackle was asked about his meetings with the Patriots.
“Yeah, I went on a 30 visit there. I loved it. I love Coach Vrabel. I remember him my freshman year, coming to Florida State and putting on the pad and letting them guys strike him. He’s been catching my eye. I just remember seeing him.
“He’s a guy that wants to feel you out and I couldn’t be more thankful. I got Coach Vrabel, Coach T and Coach Clint. Coach Clint was my first coach. What other situation can I be in?
“When I got there, Milton [Williams] sat down for 30 minutes and talked. It’s just God, man. Let me show you this picture [Farmer and Milton Williams]. It’s just crazy how God works. I don’t know what to say. He sat down and talked with me for at least 30 minutes. It was just me and him. He was a later round guy, kind of like me in the third round and fourth round. He just sat down and talked to me. No other visit I went on was like that. He’s just a great guy. Awesome. Fantastic.“
Bradyn Swinson: During his first media conference call, Swinton was asked about his habit of carrying a football around everywhere he goes and why he did it. “Yes, I do. It’s actually upstairs right now, but I can’t walk around with it anymore, it’s a Washington Commanders ball. I need a Patriots ball.
“Every year, I had a guy named Sherman [Wilson]. He gave me a ball at LSU. I got it from Jayden Daniels, because Jayden Daniels used to carry his dream everywhere. You always want to carry your dream everywhere. I started doing it my last year at LSU, carrying it around with me everywhere.
“When I go to the grocery store and I go to the mall, go anywhere, I have a ball with me. Keeping the ball close. I just believe the ball is the program. When I started doing that, got to game days, everything started getting surreal.
“When you start punching the ball out of you, you’re used to seeing the ball. When you holding the ball so much, you get to know the different spots on the ball.
Patriots 4th & 2 Podcast: Derek, Mike D’Abate, and I discussed the draft after Round 1, Rounds 2-3, and will do our full draft analysis early this week. Please check us out and listen to us on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.
Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn’t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders’ Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position. This will be displayed in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis’ numbers stand up well against Casper’s, yet he isn’t even in the team’s HOF.
Here is a quick breakdown of the Patriots’ selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. They had a very solid draft and have set themselves up to get the franchise turned around. Are they contenders? Not yet. But this is a much better football team from top to bottom than they were just a couple of months ago. And the coaching staff has a firm handle on the players they brought in and how they’ll be used.
#4 Will Campbell, T, LSU: The big man from LSU has big shoes to fill. He’s got to protect Drake Maye’s blind side. This position has been a sore spot for years. And he’s got to do it with a sizable portion of the media and fanbase who already believe he’s going to be a bust.
But before he stepped foot in Indy at the Combine, I never heard one word about his arm length and how it would affect his play. Watch the games, watch the tape, what you see is an outstanding left tackle prospect who was the best offensive lineman in this draft class.
#38 TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State: I loved this pick. Two months ago, Derek Havens was raving about Henderson on our podcast and we have been hoping that he would be around for the team at #38.
Excellent runner with 31 carries over 10 yards in the past two seasons. Tremendous pass blocker, something rookies tend to struggle with in the backfield. And an excellent receiver out of the backfield. The Patriots were looking for speed out of the backfield; this guy has homerun potential.
He’ll thrive in Josh McDaniels’ offense, like Kevin Faulk, Danny Woodhead, Shane Vereen, and James White. And a perfect complement to Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. Best player available…remember?
#69 Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State: Williams is an instant separator at the line of scrimmage, perhaps the best separator in the class. He plays a lot faster than his 4.4 timed speed.
Mel Kiper had this to say about Williams: “He is fast. I’ll tell you what – versatile. He’s not a guy who’s a one-trick pony. He’s not just a deep threat. He will do the dirty work. He’ll block. He’ll go in traffic and make tough catches. I love Kyle Williams, one of the most underrated receivers in this draft.”
Williams caught 70 passes for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He’s been productive. So far this offseason, the Patriots have added Williams, Stefon Diggs, and Mack Hollins to the WR room. They’ve gotten a speedy “X” receiver, a crafty route runner who always finds a way to get open, and a big red-zone target. Things are definitely improving there.
#95 Jared Wilson, C, Georgia: The Patriots grabbed another offensive lineman in the third round of the draft after trading back from 77 and then from 85 picking up a 5th-round pick this year #146 from the Panthers, and a 4th-round pick next year from the Chiefs.
With Garrett Bradbury signed essentially for this year, Wilson could play guard this season or backup Bradbury who had a down year last season. He’s a very athletic player and brings needed depth to an offensive line that needed an overhaul.
Eliot Wolf had this to say about Wilson: “Most of his experience has been at center in this past year, but he had played guard. Or he was basically the sixth man at Georgia prior to this year. So he’s got experience practicing and playing at guard there. So I think center is ultimately going to be his best position, but we’ll get him in here, see what he can handle mentally and see what he can do.”
#106 Craig Woodson, Safety, Cal: The team’s first Day 3 pick (4th round) was on defense. He’s got decent size at 6’0, 200, and is very versatile. He played down in the box, free safety, and in the slot. The free safety position would immediately open up a role for him. While the team has a plethora of safeties, they don’t have a dedicated free safety.
When he was asked about his playing style, he sounded like a Vrabel kind of player. Woodson said that he’s versatile, smart, and likes to hit.
“Hitting people is what I’ve been like to do since aI was kid,” he said. “Running up, hitting somebody, smacking them. That’s really the thrill of the game. That’s what I love. Running and hitting.”
Despite his aggressive, physical style of play, he was flagged just once over the past three seasons.
#137 Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State: The Patriots picked up the big 6’3, 305 defensive tackle after trading up from No. 144 overall, packaging the 238th pick to move up with the Seahawks.
Farmer is a good athlete for a big man, running a 5.11-second 40-yard dash. He also has great length with 35-inch arms.The 22-year-old tackle led Florida State with four sacks in 2024. He also added 26 total pressures and 18 defensive stops, per PFF.
Farmer adds needed depth to the defensive line. And spent 30 minutes with Milton Williams during his visit to Foxboro. He’s been compared to Christian Barmore, so that is encouraging.
#146 Bradyn Swinson, EDGE, LSU: This pick has the hallmarks of a potential steal. The 6-3, 255-pound Swinson was projected to be drafted earlier than the fifth round after totaling 58 tackles (13 for a loss) and 8.5 sacks in his one season as a full-time starter.
However, with Harold Landry and Anfernee Jennings on early downs, Swinson can start his NFL career as a designated pass rusher, but he has the ceiling to develop into a three-down role.
In a conference call with local media, Swinson described his style of play: “You’re getting a dawg, for sure. … I win my one-on-ones. I pass rush. I really know how to get to the ball.”
#182: Andres Borregales, K, Miami: The Patriots became the first team to select a kicker in the draft just before Baltimore, with Borregales coming off a stellar season where he connected on 18 of 19 on field-goal attempts (with a long of 56) and 62 of 62 on extra points.
Borregales was Miami’s kicker the last four seasons and will compete with John Parker Romo for the kicking job in New England, with the 5-foot-10, 197-pound Borregales the favorite based on his draft status. The two are friends but will compete against each other this summer.
#220: Marcus Bryant, T, Missouri: Bryant is a big 6-foot-7, 320-pound blocker with experience on both sides of the line. Bryant started for two-plus seasons at SMU before transferring to Missouri last year. Most of his college experience has come at right tackle, though he played left tackle last year opposite top-10 pick Armand Membou.
Bryant has a massive wingspan of over 83 inches. He also clocked a 4.97 in the 40-yard dash, But with Will Campbell and Morgan Moses at left and right tackle and Caedan Wallace already on the roster, he may develop the “Foxboro Flu” or end up on the Practice Squad in Year 1.
#251: Julian Ashby, LS, Vanderbilt: Ashby will compete with Joe Cardona, the team’s longest tenured player, for the role. Ashby was expected to draw a lot of interest as an undrafted free agent, so the Patriots made sure that they have a chance to work with him by using a late seventh-round pick acquired in a trade down with the Chiefs to select him.
Ashby is the first snapper selected in the draft since 2021. Could the team be looking to replace Cardona? I wouldn’t have thought so, but here we are.
#257: Kobee Minor, CB, Memphis: Mr. Irrelevant. Minor is a 5-foot-11, 188-pound corner whom the team hosted on one of their 30 visits allowed prior to the draft. Minor’s only visit. He can play both outside and in the slot, with solid movement and ball skills.
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“Craig’s a player that we had some great exposure with at the East-West game. Craig was able to come in here. He’s a great person, a high level of character, a really smart football player. I think the communication skills that he possesses at the safety position are something that sets him apart.
“Cal’s had a history of having really good communicators in their program from the backfield for the defensive secondary standpoint. That’s a little bit about Craig, just a great person and a high level communicator at the safety position.
“Josh [Farmer] has an amazing story. Josh has faced a ton of adversity in his life. Josh is eager and looking forward to continue to be coached, continue to develop some of the traits and skills that he possesses. Josh has had a relationship with our defensive line coach, Coach [Clint] McMillan.
“They’ve had a relationship for a long time and it helped us understand the picture of Josh too in a lot of ways. Again, going about investing in people, you guys have probably heard Coach Vrabel talk about that. Investing in the people, it’s what we want to do once they become a part of our team.
When we took [Bradyn] Swinson, he really had an interesting career at LSU. He started in the back end of things behind some good players, but he always had a knack for rushing the passer. I think over the last two years, he’s had more opportunities to do that. His ability on the edge to create pressures have some disruption out there from a hard program at LSU.
With the kicker, we thought that [Andres] Borregales has a big leg; he’s really talented. I know the idea about kickers, a lot of times is strong legs, and that’s obviously paramount. I think the weather is one of those things where we all talk about it, but is there really a metric or a measurement that says, ‘What is the production in cold-weather games?’
“ If I’m not mistaken, I think Nick Folk kicked at Arizona and did okay for a long time here to some degree. I think what you want to focus on is, ‘What’s the mindset and the makeup of the person?’ ‘What’s the talent level?’ ‘How explosive is the ball coming off his foot?’ Just like anything, I don’t think we can base that this guy had this exposure. Your poll would really shrink if you said, ‘Let me go find cold weather kickers and who are they?’”
Patriots VP of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden on the thought process of taking their Day 3 players
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“Somebody asked me what success looks like, and I said, ‘Yeah, you can judge it by wins and losses during the season, but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we’re doing, and they believe in the message, they believe in the teaching, and they believe in the connections that we’re making.’” — Mike Vrabel
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Evan Lazar said it perfect…. this draft is thin on star (blue chip) players at the top of round #1, but it’s deep on starters in subsequent rounds.. There was indeed potential starters in the 4th/5th round. Joshsua Farmer was one of them. Yet a nitpick being: trade the round #7 picks plus a 5th next year and get more in the 4th/5th…There was a few TE’s well into the 5th round. Gunnar Helm and Mitchell Evans. Plus RBs. DT. That “well ran dry” seemingly in 6th/7th round. That aside, the draft was seemingly good on paper. The media isn’t… Read more »
All great points, Jim. I, too, would have liked to see them go for a tight end at some point. The draft was chock-full of them. Helm was someone I was keeping an eye on.
I do think they got a couple of steals, Williams, Farmer, and Swinton were to me, great additions. We’ll see once the pads come on.
Thanks as always for reading and we always appreciate your comments.