Monday marks 10 days until the Patriots are on the clock at No. 4 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
…or does it?
WEEI’s Chris Scheim - who has the Patriots selecting LSU left tackle Will Campbell at No. 4 in his latest mock draft for WEEI.com - took to the air Monday on The Greg Hill Show with a strategy that will have some fans in the region rolling their eyes, as it harkens back to a draft philosophy we saw implemented with regularity in New England under Bill Belichick for a quarter-century.
“If I’m the Patriots, what I would do is trade down,” said Scheim. “I believe that this draft is - the reason people see it as worse than a lot of other drafts is not because there’s no talent, but just because there’s not as many blue chip, top-end players.
“So there’s not as many of those, like, possible All-Pro, Hall of Fame guys. But I believe there are a lot of good NFL starters available. Like, in that middle of round one to beginning of round three area.”
“Yeah, Daniel Jeremiah refers to this as a ‘starter draft,’” WEEI’s Chris Curtis chimed in.
But how far down would Scheim ideally like New England to trade down?
“So my goal would be to trade - I would trade down as far as 11 with the 49ers,” said Scheim. “Because I want to accrue as many draft picks in that first, second, third round as I can.”
“If they were able to get Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter at 4, would you say ‘great draft,’ or ‘everybody else choked?’” asked WEEI’s Greg Hill.
“I would say somebody choked,” said Scheim. “Because I don’t know why you’re taking any of those quarterbacks over Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter.”
The latter two names have been the two high-end studs Patriots fans have been dreaming about falling into their lap since the season ended.
Unfortunately for those draft-obsessed fans, the team had to go out and win in Week 18 against the Bills, thus dropping them out of position to select No. 1 overall and leaving their draft-fate in the hands of other teams with glaring needs ahead of them. Instead of controlling the board, they’ll now have to make due with what’s left.
Unless, of course, they trade back.
…or trade up? Or trade the pick entirely for a proven veteran? Or -
10 more days. Lots of possibilities. Deep breaths, everyone.
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