The New England Patriots are in the middle of a rebuild, meaning the number one priority is getting good football players on the roster. With the 2024 season approaching, ESPN’s Field Yates, has released a mock draft. He has the Patriots getting the number one overall pick, and trading down to number six. He then has them selecting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.
Johnson is arguably the number one corner in the nation and should be picked in the top ten. However, New England desperately needs help at the offensive tackle position. Could the Patriots really put off addressing left tackle for yet another year to land a star like Johnson?
New England used a first-round pick in 2023 on cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and before he went down with an injury, he looked like a true lockdown corner. With Gonzalez coming back in 2024 at full strength, the Patriots will likely already have their number-one corner, so could they still end up using a premium draft pick on the same position? Obviously, the number one priority should be an offensive tackle, but the thought of Gonzalez and Will Johnson as the two boundary corners is very enticing in a loaded AFC East.
The 2025 NFL Draft has an elite prospect at the offensive tackle position in LSU’s Will Campbell. The Foxborough Faithful have had to watch a struggling offensive line for multiple seasons now, and many would most likely be disappointed if the Patriots decided to pass on such a star left tackle to take yet another defensive weapon. After using the number three overall pick in 2024 on the potential franchise quarterback, the top priority should be getting him weapons and protection in the 2025 off-season.
Could the Patriots’ 2024 Draft strategy be an indicator of the 2025 strategy?
New England used all of their 2024 Draft picks on offense except one. After a horrendous 2023 season, the offense was the main focus of the rebuild. If the offense looks much improved in 2024 after so many Draft picks were used to improve that side of the ball, could the Patriots be more focused on defense in 2025? If the Patriots trade down multiple spots, and LSU left tackle Will Campbell has already been selected, maybe New England will shift their focus to the top corner in the Draft (Will Johnson). Pairing him with Christian Gonzalez would allow them to finally have a chance at stopping the Dolphins and Bills’ explosive offenses.
Overall, if New England decides their first-round pick needs to be used on defense, it is going to be hard to get fans excited. Year after year since Brady left, the offensive line has been in shambles, particularly at the tackle position. If Drake Maye is the future of the organization, it is going to be very difficult to justify selecting a corner over the top offensive tackle in the Draft.
