Eight 2025 NFL Draftees Patriots Could Regret Passing On

The Patriots had a near-perfect 2025 NFL Draft, and it created a lot of optimism around New England.

However, if Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti can nitpick the Patriots’ draft, well, that leaves things open for the rest of us. After all, the impending results will truly show how well Eliot Wolf, Mike Vrabel and the front office did.

So for this exercise, we believe there are eight players whom the Patriots could have considered at their respective draft slot. We’re not copping out and saying, “They should have traded the pick,” nor are we looking too far ahead in the draft. We’re simply looking at the players who were picked a few slots after the Patriots’ selection. Let’s start with the second round.

WR Luther Burden
TreVeyon Henderson projects to be the perfect running back for Josh McDaniels’ system. That team fit could supersede the idea of not drafting a running back too high. But if the Patriots did follow that logic, Burden would have been a great pick for New England. The Missouri product’s game was compared to Stefon Diggs’ by NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah. New England lacks explosive playmakers, and Burden’s ability in the intermediate game would have been great with Drake Maye. It also would have been solid value to take a player who some projected in the first round in the early second.

TE Mason Taylor
Another consideration in the second round was tight end. It’s not a position of dire need, but it’s one where the Patriots could afford to get younger. It’s unknown what McDaniels thinks of Jaheim Bell, but it’s possibly a positive evaluation since the Patriots didn’t feel the need to draft a tight end. However, Hunter Henry’s health can’t always be relied upon, and Taylor profiles as an interesting pass-catcher who could have provided more help for Maye.

EDGE Donovan Ezeirukaru
The final second-round consideration is more of a fun, local pick. No one would have had a problem if the Patriots drafted the Ted Hendricks Award winner, and edge rusher is one of the most important positions. Having more depth there is never a problem.

WR Jaylin Noel
New England interestingly drafted Kyle Williams in the third round. Draft experts had mixed ranks on the Washington State product, so this was viewed as a reach by some. Noel was lauded for his quickness and ability to beat press coverage. He has a slightly better physical profile compared to Williams. It’s not that drastic, but we’re here to nitpick. The Patriots whiffed on Ja’Lynn Polk in the 2024 NFL Draft after going away from consensus, and so your fear of them doing the same with Williams isn’t that crazy.

LB Jack Kiser
Craig Woodson was an odd pick in the fourth round. The California product isn’t a bad player, but safety didn’t seem like a pressing need. Kiser could have given the Patriots more depth at linebacker, and his toughness and leadership seemed like good fits with Vrabel.

DT Deone Walker
Yes, the Patriots drafted Joshua Farmer later in the fourth round, but why not double down at a key position? The Philadelphia Eagles showed you can never have too much depth on the defensive line, and while Milton Williams does want to play more snaps, it doesn’t mean he has to.

QB Riley Leonard
The Patriots noticeably didn’t address quarterback in the draft. They signed Ben Wooldridge, but they could have added someone better. While New England hopes Maye doesn’t get hurt, anything can happen in the NFL. It’s important for teams to ensure they aren’t dead in the water if their starter gets injured. Joshua Dobbs is a fine backup behind Maye, but it wouldn’t have hurt to have someone in-house who could benefit from developing under McDaniels. Instead of drafting Andres Borregales in the sixth round, the Patriots could have drafted a QB in that spot in back-to-back drafts. Will Howard could have been another option, but if Joe Milton III was traded because of his confidence in himself, then Howard probably wouldn’t have been a good fit. Leonard would know his place, and his versatility perfectly fits the mold of a backup signal-caller.

Another kicker
It probably won’t matter that the Patriots used Day 3 picks on a kicker and long-snapper. However, if they utilized their sixth-round pick on a backup QB, then you can draft a different kicker in the seventh round. Which one? Just put your favorites on a six-sided dice, roll it and pick that one.