Mark Daniels: 7-round Patriots mock draft 1.0

Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf have done a lot of work this offseason.

In free agency, the team signed 14 veterans – six on offense and eight on defense. Out of that group, they’ve likely added seven new starters. Of course, on a 4-win team, the Patriots need a lot of help.

The next step in this rebuild is the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

Vrabel and Wolf must get this right. With nine picks, including four in the top three, the team has a chance to reinforce their offense around Drake Maye. That’s what we do in this first Patriots mock draft.

Here, we hammer the offense, reinforcing depth around the Patriots young quarterback. Considering the offense lacks proven starters at left tackle and left guard, we opt to shore up those positions instantly in this draft projection.

Here’s a look:

First round, pick 4:

Armand Membou, Missouri, OT, 6-4, 332 pounds

Membou is one of the top tackle prospects in this draft. He’s a bit shorter than a prototypical tackle at 6-foot-4, but Membou is an elite athlete with 33 1/2-inch arms. Weighing 332 pounds, he ran a 4.91 40-yard dash at the Combine. He started at right tackle for Missouri and earned Second-team All-SEC honors last season. He only played right tackle in college. In this exercise, the Patriots would draft Membou and move him to left tackle. He projects as a Day 1 starter in the NFL. Matt Groh was at his Missouri Pro Day.

Second round, pick 38:

Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, OG, 6-4, 315 pounds

Jackson is one of the top guard prospects in this draft. He’d start immediately at left guard for the Patriots. He started at left guard for Ohio State in 2022 and 2023. he earned Second-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore and First-team honors as a junior. Last year, Jackson earned Second-team All-American honors after starting at left guard before moving to left tackle. He replaced the injured Josh Simmons in Ohio State’s lineup, starting the last nine games on the left edge en route to winning a National Championship. Mike Vrabel was at his Pro Day.

Third round, pick 69:

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee, RB, 5-8, 200 pounds

The SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Sampson scored a Tennessee program record 22 rushing touchdowns last season. He also finished with 1,491 rushing yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Sampson earned Third-team All-American and First-team All-SEC honors. Sampson is smaller at 5-foot-8, but he’s a good athlete, running a 4.42 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. Sampson would give the Patriots a high-upside running back that would add depth with Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. He had a pre-draft visit with the Patriots.

Third round, pick 77:

Jalen Royals, Utah State, WR, 6-0, 205 pounds

A 6-foot, 205-pound receiver, Royals finished with 55 catches for 834 yards and six touchdowns in seven games last season. He missed the last six games due to a foot injury. A smooth route runner, he has the ability to play in the slot or outside the numbers. Royals caught 71 passes for 1,080 yards with 15 touchdowns in 2023. He excelled against man coverage and would add even more competition to the Patriots’ receiver group. Royals met with the Patriots at the Senior Bowl. New Patriots offensive assistant Chuckie Keaton was the running backs coach at Utah State in 2022 when Royals was a sophomore.

Fourth round, pick 106:

J.J. Pegues, Ole Miss, DT, 6-2, 309 pounds

This is an especially deep defensive line class. With uncertainty surrounding Christian Barmore, the Patriots would be wise to add another player to add depth behind Milton Wiliams. Pegues did it all at Mississippi. On defense, the 6-foot-2, 309-pounder finished with 3.5 sacks and 42 tackles with 13.2 for loss. He was also used on offense as a fullback, rushing for seven touchdowns. Pegues is a good athlete with the ability to play all over the defensive line. He earned Third-team All-SEC honors last season.

Fifth round, pick 144:

Jack Kiser, Notre Dame, LB, 6-2, 231 pounds

A sixth-year senior, Kiser fits into the Mike Vrabel model at linebacker at 6-foot-1, 227 pounds. He led Notre Dame with 55 solo tackles last year, finishing with 90 total. He also added two sacks. Kiser finished his collegiate career with 275 tackles. A team captain, he also has outstanding character. Kiser was Notre Dame’s Man of the Year and a finalist for multiple awards for his work in the community. He would add depth at linebacker and be a core special teamer in New England.

Fifth round, pick 171:

Upton Stout, Western Kentucky, CB, 5-8, 181 pounds

At 5-foot-9, 167 pounds, Stout is a slot cornerback prospect and a very good athlete. With Marcus Jones entering a contract year, he’d give the Patriots nice depth on the inside. He started at North Texas before transferring to Western Kentucky, finishing with 15 pass breakups and six interceptions in his collegiate career. He earned First-team All-Conference USA honors last season.

Seventh round, pick 220:

Andres Borregales, Miami, PK, 5-11, 199 pounds

The Patriots need to add another kicker after Joey Slye signed with Tennessee. Borregales might just be the best kicker in this draft. He has a cannon for a leg and showed that at his Pro Day, hitting a 65-yarder. He made 86% (74-of-86) of his attempts over the last four seasons. He had a 94.7% field goal percentage (18-of-19) last season. He also went 7-of-10 from over 50 yards over the last four years. Borregales would compete with kicker John Parker Romo this offseason.

Seventh round, pick 238:

Drew Kendall, Boston College, C, 6-4, 308 pounds

It’s hard to ignore the Patriots connections here. Kendall was at Boston College last season with Patriots offensive line coach Doug Marrone. He’s also been working with Dante Scarnecchia this offseason. From Norwell, Mass., Kendall would give the Patriots depth at center with deep local ties. He visited the Patriots with other local prospects. Mike Vrabel was also on hand for his Pro Day at Boston College.

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