Timing is everything in life, and the timing for the New England Patriots entering the 2024 NFL Draft couldn't have been better.
They were an awful team in 2023, finishing with a 4-13 record and earning the No. 3 pick in the draft. It just so happened to be a draft with a couple premier quarterback prospects, and they got arguably the best one in Drake Maye.
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The timing for the Patriots entering the 2025 NFL Draft isn't as good. They are again one of the league's worst teams with a 3-10 record entering their Week 14 bye. They currently own the No. 4 pick. But unlike last year, the 2025 daft class isn't considered very strong.
CBS Sports draft expert Mike Renner recently joined Phil Perry on NBC Sports Boston's Next Pats Podcast to talk about the 2025 draft class. Renner's view is that this class is one of the worst in recent memory.
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"It's really bad, yeah," Renner said. "It's because the premier positions that you would ideally want to take at the top of the draft -- offensive tackle, wide receiver, and I would say defensive end, to a degree -- I think this defensive end class is insanely deep, but there's no guy I'm going to have a top-five grade on. There's no Will Anderson waiting for you, someone you know for sure when you draft him that you've got a good one.
"It's a unique class, one where scouts have to make their money. If you had a top 10 pick last year, you didn't have to be a good scout. You could have thrown a dart and hit a player who's All-Pro caliber. It was such a good draft.
"This year, I don't think that's going to be the case. There are positions where this class is strong, but they're not your traditional positions you draft highly. I think running back is one of them. I think off-ball linebacker is one of them. It's a fairly good class for safeties as well. But again, not the positions you usually want to be taking in the top five or top 10."
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Renner pointed to the 2022 class as one comparable to the 2025 class, with one notable difference.
"It's reminiscent of the year Travon Walker and Aidan Hutchinson went No. 1 and No. 2," Renner said. "I think it's a little better than that year's class, and there are a couple quarterbacks that will make it interesting at the top, whereas that year didn't have the QBs. But it's much closer to that level of talent than we've seen the last two years."
While the 2025 class doesn't have any prospects that would be labeled generational talents, there is still plenty of talent to scout. Even though the 2022 class didn't have any Grade A quarterback prospects, the following players were taken in the top 15:
- No. 2: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Lions
- No. 4: Sauce Gardner, CB, Jets
- No. 8: Drake London, WR, Falcons
- No. 10: Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets
- No. 11: Chris Olave, WR, Saints
- No. 12: Jameson Williams, WR, Lions
- No. 14: Kyle Hamilton, S, Ravens
The 2022 class, overall, looks better than it did at the time. Maybe the 2025 class will be like that, or maybe not.
But if the Patriots got a player in Round 1 who's comparable to any of the names in the list above, that would be a successful pick for New England. The Patriots have a ton of roster needs to address in this draft, most notably offensive tackle, edge rusher and cornerback. They should be able to get a good player at any one of those positions in the first round.
Also in this episode:
- Why Patriots should take OT in first round of NFL Draft
- Five things the Pats need to do to close out the season
