On Tuesday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke to the media at Gillette Stadium for the first time since the team held introductory press conferences for free agent signings in March, as the team continues to make preparations for the 2025 NFL Draft.
With the first round getting underway eight days from now in Green Bay, the intrigue around who the Patriots will select at No. 4 overall is at an all-time high.
Whether it was his press conference at the combine in Indianapolis or his scrum with the media in Florida at the owners meetings, Vrabel has dropped bread crumbs for the types of players he’s looking to build his new-look Patriots around.
On Tuesday in Foxborough, he gave a window into part of his draft strategy, as well as how he feels about some of the off-the-field intangibles that are often scrutinized by media and fans alike.
“What has generally been your philosophy in the past on drafting ‘best available’ as opposed to position of need?” asked WHDH’s Trey Daerr.
“Well, we'd love for them to align, having a need and having the best player be there,” said Vrabel. “That doesn't always happen, and we certainly want to pick the best player as many times as we can and the player that we think at that point is the best player. Then we'll figure it out.
“Maybe you look at one position and we may have some returning starters or we feel like are starters, or there's depth at that position, but to add premium players when available is something that you should probably always try to do.”
So while Vrabel says that drafting-for-need is a part of his thinking, it’s clear that the emphasis for the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year is drafting the “best player available,” even if there’s already clear depth at that position on the roster.
This makes the conversation around Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham an interesting one, as the 21-year-old has been linked to New England at various points throughout the draft process. If Graham is ranked higher on Vrabel’s draft board than the likes of LSU left tackle Will Campbell or Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan - both of whom would fill positions of need for the Patriots - don’t be surprised if New England adds the former Wolverine to a defensive tackle group that already includes highly-paid talents Milton Williams and Christian Barmore.
While we won’t have access to Vrabel’s board prior to the draft, a selection of Graham at No. 4 would be a clear sign of perceived “best player available” trumping obvious roster needs.
Another player that would fall into the category of “best available” but not necessarily filling a dire need would be Penn State sensation Abdul Carter, who is among the best edge rushers coming out of college in recent memory. Carter has been seen as a consensus top-three pick for this year’s draft since the order officially fell into place after NFL Week 18 came to a close. But earlier this month, questions about his character began to surface from veteran draft analyst Bob McGinn.
Here’s a quote McGinn shared from a league scout on his edge rusher preview for “Go Long:”
“There’s a little baggage that comes with him. Some people just shrug their shoulders and say it comes with the territory. Other people were a little more concerned with it. Penn State seemed to dial it back because they obviously wanted him to go top 5 or top 10. There’s a pretty strong consensus here that he’s the top defender out there.”
With this quote shared by McGinn, the football media world began trying to connect the dots between Carter and off-the-field issues. In doing so, the chatter began about Carter being charged with assaulting a tow truck driver in March of last year. As a first-time offender, he was enrolled in a one-year program that upon its completion would expunge the arrest from his record. He was also required to complete an anger management course, per court orders.
That incident from the spring of 2024 was Carter’s second charge in six months, as he was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in September of 2023. Police were reportedly called to his dorm after a fire alarm was activated from Carter smoking marijuana in his room.
With Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders reportedly being invited for a last minute private workout with the Giants ahead of the draft, speculation has continued to swirl surrounding Carter’s character concerns impacting his draft stock. If the Giants pass on Carter at No. 3 in favor of Sanders, there’s a good chance the 21-year-old defensive end will be available for New England at No. 4.
What would Vrabel’s appetite be for a guy like this? Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi indirectly asked him on Tuesday.
Giardi said, “The fact that you’ve put a premium on high character guys in free agency, also good football players -”
“I think that's the most important thing, but yes,” Vrabel interrupted, making his preference for “good football players” evident before the question was even fully asked.
“Does that translate to the draft?” Giardi asked. “Or do you feel like because you brought in guys like Morgan Moses, maybe you can take a risk in the draft because you feel like your locker room’s strong?”
“Well, we don't want to take risks,” said Vrabel. “I mean, I think we want to be aggressive. I think there's a difference between taking risks and being aggressive and adding quality players and people to the roster. That'll happen throughout player acquisition.
“I think that's something that's important, but certainly the talent of the player has to be evaluated first. Then you go through a lot of different exercises and conversations and just try to figure out the type of person. You can't win and you can't do what we want to do with just a bunch of good dudes. That's not going to get it done.”
By hell or high water, it’s clear Vrabel values one thing above all else:
Talent.
Get as many talented players under contract at 1 Patriot Place as possible, and figure it out from there.
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