Mel Kiper Jr. Shares Major Patriots Draft Intel Right Before Round 1

The Patriots might not be doing any deliberating in their NFL draft war room Thursday evening.

ESPN’s Field Yates released his final 2025 mock draft a little over 12 hours before the Tennessee Titans went on the clock to make the first overall pick. The column also includes insights from veteran draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., who shared some seismic intel about the earliest selections in Round 1.

“Everything I’ve heard tells me the top four picks are pretty set,” Kiper wrote. “It’s really Jacksonville at No. 5 where things could get interesting.”

Virtually all draft prognosticators have had the same read on the first three picks for quite a while. Quarterback Cam Ward, dual-threat Travis Hunter and edge rusher Abdul Carter are expected to land with the Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, respectively. But Kiper looping New England into the “set” group was pretty telling, as there has been a wide range of analysis on what Mike Vrabel and company could do with their top pick.

Yates, surely with Kiper’s info in mind, mocked offensive lineman Will Campbell to the Patriots at No. 4 overall.

“With a pair of notable needs at offensive tackle and receiver, the Patriots have work to do in supporting quarterback Drake Maye in his second season,” Yates wrote. “Campbell checks one box. He has outstanding footwork, yielding just two sacks over the past two seasons. And despite his modest 32⅝-inch arm length, Campbell is a starting NFL left tackle. Coaches who have played against Mike Vrabel-led teams in the past told me Campbell embodies attributes that the Pats’ new coach values in his players: toughness, dependability and physicality.”

The projection from Yates and the report from Kiper don’t necessarily mean Campbell is a lock to land in Foxboro, Mass. For instance, absolutely no one predicted the Atlanta Falcons to take Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick last year. But the LSU makes a lot of sense for the Patriots, so it won’t be a surprise if he becomes Drake Maye’s new blindside protector Thursday night.