Patriots Rookies “Don’t Act Like Rookies Anymore,” Says Vrabel
Vrabel has enjoyed the growth from this year's Patriots rookie class.
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The 2025 NFL Draft feels like forever ago, but it’s safe to say the results from that Draft have definitely paid off in a big way for the Patriots this season.
With the team getting ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday, the selections made nearly 10 months ago infused some much-needed youth and talent into a roster that was in desperate need of it coming off last year’s 4-13 campaign.
The Patriots added talent up front along their offensive line in both left tackle Will Campbell and guard Jared Wilson, both of whom have developed into solid players up front. Wide receiver Kyle Williams has grown week after week and become a dangerous deep threat, while TreVeyon Henderson has been the explosive back they’ve needed to complement Rhamondre Stevenson.
Craig Woodson has become a key starter at safety, providing both speed in coverage as well as a player who has been a terrific tackler defensively. Kicker Andy Borregales has improved as the year has gone on, with Julian Ashby also being a reliable player as a long-snapper.
Add in defensive tackle Joshua Farmer and linebacker Bradyn Swinson, and the Patriots have a group that saw contributions from nearly everyone. Even Kobee Minor and Marcus Bryant have seen snaps this year, which has essentially seen all 11 selections from the 2025 Patriots Draft class be a part of carrying them to where they are right now.
That’s pretty remarkable, and a testament to Eliot Wolf, Ryan Cowden, and the rest of New England’s scouting department and the job they did last offseason.
When asked about his rookies on Thursday, Vrabel expressed the fact it feels like it’s been so long that he doesn’t look at those guys that way, and he’s certainly happy with what they’ve all accomplished this season.
“I think it’s gone really fast,” said Vrabel. “I think since the time that we drafted them until now, it’s gone really quickly. You have seen them mature. I think you’ve seen them become more comfortable. I think you see TreVeyon [Henderson] talk yesterday about getting married and about just growing up. And you see Will [Campbell] developing on this team, and Jared [Wilson], and Craig [Woodson].”
“You don’t really even look at them as rookies anymore after Thanksgiving. Now, the team will tell you that they’re going to still be rookies until after their third game next year. But they don’t act like rookies anymore. We don’t look at them as rookies anymore. They’ve been contributors on this football team, and we’re happy that they’ve helped us get here.”
One of the other things Vrabel talked about this week was that the year he spent in Cleveland prior to getting hired in New England helped him ‘get back to the basics’, with the head coach expressing that it allowed him the opportunity to be closer with the guys in the locker room.
More importantly, it afforded him the chance to get back to developing players.
“I had a lot of time to spend with players, with young players, with developmental players on Mondays and Tuesdays,” said Vrabel. “My office wasn’t upstairs, where the coaching staff was or where the personnel department was. It was downstairs with the players in the training room and the weight room. So I kind of got back to the basics of just what this game is about, making connections, and it’s about the people, and getting the players to find ways to improve, and to develop them, and give them confidence. So maybe it wasn’t something that I wanted to do differently, but it was just an affirmation of ‘This is what’s important.'”
Clearly, that approach has paid off. As a result, regardless of Sunday’s outcome, he’s got a draft class that absolutely provides a foundation they can now build around in the coming seasons.
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