2025 NFL Draft: Experts mostly give Patriots high grades for 11-player haul (2025)

Patriots

A few experts believed that the Patriots had one of the top draft classes among any team in the league.

By Conor Roche

April 27, 2025 | 12:04 PM

8 minutes to read

If the Patriots had a directive to load up around Drake Maye in the 2025 NFL Draft, they were successful in doing that. They selected an offensive player with each of their first four picks in the first two days of the draft before going defense-heavy on Day 3.

That approach has largely been lauded by analysts and draft experts as well. With the 2025 NFL Draft coming to an end on Saturday, many experts gave New England high marks for its 11-player haul in the 2025 draft. Here’s a full look at the Patriots’ draft class again and how experts graded their draft.

No. 4 overall (Round 1): Will Campbell, OT, LSU
No. 38 overall (Round 2): TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
No. 69 overall (Round 3): Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
No. 95 overall (Round 3): Jared Wilson, C, Georgia
No. 106 overall (Round 4): Craig Woodson, S, California
No. 137 overall (Round 5): Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State
No. 146 overall (Round 5): Bradyn Swinson, Edge, LSU
No. 182 overall (Round 6): Andres Borregales, K, Miami
No. 220 overall (Round 7): Marcus Bryant, OT, Missouri
No. 251 overall (Round 7): Julian Ashby, LS, Vanderbilt
No. 257 overall (Round 7): Kobee Minor, DB, Memphis

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: A-

Kiper gave the Patriots the third-best grade of any team in the 2025 draft due to their decision to build around Maye. Despite some of the draft concerns surrounding Campbell’s arm length, Kiper projects the Patriots’ first-round pick to be a good pro.

“Everyone made a big deal about his 32 5/8-inch arm length after the combine, and it’s not ideal. But I still see the footwork, technique and pure power of an NFL left tackle. Campbell will immediately replaceVederian Lowethere.”

As for the Patriots’ Day 2 picks, Kiper believes that Henderson is in a “perfect spot to maximize his skill set” due to the depth of New England’s backfield as he described the rookie running back as a “big-play artist.” He also believes that Williams is a “good deep threat for Maye with his speed” while he ranked Wilson as his best center in the class. He even liked a few of the Patriots’ Day 3 picks, listing Farmer, Swinson, and Borregales as standout selections.

Following a strong draft, Kiper believes that the Patriots could get back into playoff contention this season.

“It has been a good offseason for New England,” Kiper wrote. “This draft class is solid. But the Pats also spent in free agency, signing Diggs,Milton Williams,Harold Landry III,Robert Spillane,Carlton Davis IIIandMorgan Moses. They could take a big step forward in 2025.”

While Reuter’s B+ grade for the Patriots is a relatively high mark, it was actually tied for the 16th-best grade for a draft class he handed out. Reuter wasn’t as big of a fan of the Campbell pick as some others, giving it a B-. However, he thought the Patriots rebounded over the next two days, giving their Day 2 picks an A and and their Day 3 picks a B.

“Eliot Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel focused on offense in their first two days together in a draft room,” Reuter wrote. “Campbell should be a solid starter, but his value might not have been as strong as top-five talentsAshton Jeanty(picked sixth overall) orMason Graham(fifth). Henderson, Williams and Wilson instantly improved second-year quarterbackDrake Maye’s supporting cast.

“Wolf and Vrabel aided the defense with excellent picks, adding an athletic, instinctive safety (Woodson), a powerful, quick-footed interior lineman (Farmer) and a lean edge rusher (Swinson). It felt like a Bill Belichick Day 3, with the Patriots picking a pair of special teamers: kicker Borregales and long-snapper Ashby.”

Pro Football Focus: A

The Patriots’ A grade from PFF was tied for the fourth-best in the 2025 draft, with the Cardinals, Panthers, and Cowboys earning A+ grades from the site. It noted how all four of the Patriots’ picks in the first two days were among the most productive players at their respective positions in the college game this past season. It shared that Campbell was in the 95th percentile of FBS tackles in PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets since 2022.

With Henderson, PFF noted that he was one of six running backs in a power conference to have 100 rushes of at least 10 yards since 2021. Williams, meanwhile, led all receivers in the 2025 draft in yards after the catch per reception (8.4).

Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi: B-

Of all the notable draft grades handed out, Maaddi gave the Patriots their lowest mark. The B- grade he gave them put them among one of the seven-worst draft classes in 2025. Unlike many others, Maaddi thought the Patriots’ selection of Henderson was a bit too high, hurting their overall grade.

“Henderson may have been available in the third round,” Maaddi wrote. “WR Kyle Williams (69) could be a third-round steal. S Craig Woodson (106), DL Joshua Farmer (137) and edge Bradyn Swinson (146) are the highlights of a solid Day 3 haul.”

Whether Maaddi’s instinct that Henderson would’ve been available in the third round is hard to verify, but there was only one running back selected between the Patriots’ second- and third-round picks. Still, many mock drafts seemed to have Henderson as a second-round selection.

USA Today’s Nate Davis: A

While Maaddi was a bit harsher on the Patriots, Davis graded New England’s draft haul as the best of any team. He thinks all four of the Patriots’ picks in the first three rounds will get a lot of playing time as rookies.

“First-round OT Will Campbell, second-round RB TreVeyon Henderson, third-round WR Kyle Williams and third-round C Jared Wilson will likely not only play significant snaps as rookies — even if they’re not all necessarily starters — but could all have exceptional impacts,” Davis wrote. “Henderson’s could be the most noticeable given his ability to thrive on every down — though the large chunks he rips off as a runner and the protection he provides on passing downs should most benefit Maye.”

Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald: A

The Patriots were one of six teams to receive an A grade from Tice and McDonald. They believe that drafting Campbell will allow the Patriots to get the five most talented offensive linemen on the field, even if he doesn’t play left tackle. They also believe that Campbell and Henderson could be future leaders for the Patriots.

However, they listed Williams as the Patriots’ most interesting selection.

“The Patriots desperately needed speed and a player who can win on the outside,” Tice and McDonald wrote. “Hello, Kyle Williams! He is explosive, competitive and gives pressed cornerbacks fits with his agility and burst. This is an ideal running mate for Drake Maye. Williams fits nicely with what the Patriots have right now and will help open up their whole offense.”

Not many college receivers were better at making big plays than Williams this past season. He had 70 receptions for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns, with his 17.1 yards per reception being tied for 17th among receivers who had at least 75 targets. He ran a 4.4 40 at the combine.

Washington Post’s Mark Meade: B

Meade was relatively conservative with his grades, giving only one team (Giants) an A- grade or better. The Patriots’ B grade was tied for ninth, with Meade thinking the Patriots “fared well” by drafting Campbell and Henderson to improve the offense around Maye.

“There’s a long way to go as Vrabel gets started after succeeding Bill Belichick’s successor, Jerod Mayo,” Meade wrote. “But the Patriots took a step toward on-field respectability.”

Sports Illustrated: A-

The Patriots’ A- grade was tied for the fourth-highest given out by Sports Illustrated, with three other teams receiving an A- for their draft class. Similar to Davis, Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame believes New England got at least a few players who can be Day 1 contributors in this class.

“The Patriots needed to find a plethora of starters with upside, and they did just that,” Verderame wrote. “Incoming coach Mike Vrabel got help on the offensive side with Campbell becoming quarterback Drake Maye’s blindside protector, while Henderson will pair with Rhamondre Stevenson to form a physical, explosive backfield tandem. Maye also got more help on Day 2, with Williams likely getting significant snaps opposite Stefon Diggs, and Wilson fighting for a starting job as a rookie on the interior.”

CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso: A-

Trapasso thought the Patriots’ draft class was tied for the seventh-best, with two other teams receiving A- marks. Like many others, Trapasso thought the Patriots’ first four picks were strong, even if they might have been picked a little earlier than expected. He believes that Campbell has an “exceptionally high floor” while Henderson is a “dynamic dual-threat runner.”

Trapasso also liked the Patriots’ Day 3 picks, too.

“Woodson is a crafty playmaker in the secondary, and Farmer has plus size and immense length at defensive tackle,” Trapasso wrote. “Look out for Swinson to make a name for himself around the corner too. General manager Eliot Wolf had himself a weekend.”

Woodson was a three-year starter at California, recording at least 70 combined tackles in each of the last three seasons. Farmer was a standout for Florida State over the last two years, recording 9.5 sacks over that stretch. As for Swinson, he emerged at LSU this past year. He recorded 8.5 sacks and an SEC-leading 59 pressures in 2024.

New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy: A

Dunleavy ranked the Patriots’ draft class as the fourth-best, liking their picks over the first days of the draft.

“Campbell was the first of three top-10 offensive tackles. Did the Patriots pick the right one — short-arm concerns be damned? Speed and athleticism at receiver was a must-get. Wilson, the draft’s best center, was available in Round 3. Henderson could be in line for lots of carries,” Dunleavy wrote.

Consensus: Patriots had a top-10 draft class, getting a few potential Day 1 starters

Outside of a few grades, the Patriots mostly received A- marks or better for how they drafted over the weekend. Like many draft classes, those grades were largely dictated by what New England did with its first few selections.

There have been some concerns over Campbell’s arm length and whether he can effectively play offensive tackle in the NFL. However, most draft evaluators ranked him as the offensive tackle in the class after a productive three-year stint at LSU, becoming a consensus All-American this past year. He also allowed just four sacks in his three years starting at left tackle.

The Patriots’ selection of Henderson might have been their most popular pick. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said that Henderson’s pass protection was his “favorite thing” he’s seen from any prospect in the 2025 draft. Nick Saban said that Henderson “might make as big of an impact on any team as anybody that’s been picked so far” after the Patriots took him in Round 2.

“I really think this guy is special,” Saban said of Henderson, who rushed for 1,016 yards last season on a Big Ten-leading 7.1 yards per carry.

Williams and Wilson, ranked by many evaluators as the best center in the draft, will likely compete with veterans for starting roles in camp as well, potentially making each of their first four picks Day 1 starters. The Patriots even got a potential starter in Day 3 when they drafted Borregales, who some viewed as the best kicker in the draft. He was named first-team All-ACC in each of the last two seasons, making 94.7 percent of his field goals last season. He made 15 of 19 kicks from at least 40 yards over the last two seasons as well.

In all, it’s certainly reasonable to be bullish over the Patriots’ draft class, considering the number of potential early starters they were able to nab. Ultimately, though, this draft class will be determined as a success or failure depending on whether they’re able to elevate Maye and get the Patriots back to the postseason soon.