When Bill Belichick departed New England following the 2023 season after 24 years at the helm as both head coach and general manager, the franchise was in a bad spot. Things got even worse when owner Robert Kraft, who had essentially forced Belichick out the door, still acquiesced to his chosen successor as head coach: Jerod Mayo, who lasted just one season and four wins before getting canned.
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And if we’re being honest, while Patriots fans had affection for him from his days as a Patriots linebacker, they recognized pretty early that Mayo was in over his head. With Mike Vrabel not taking a job last year and signing for the Patriots almost instantly after Mayo was handed his walking papers, many around New England now believe Vrabel was the real plan all along.
Mayo did do one thing right, however. That was drafting QB Drake Maye. The young signal caller flashed some really impressive traits last year, and most around Foxborough believe they’ve already found their next franchise guy.
That’s why New England’s 2025 draft, which was clearly focused on acquiring support for Maye, was good enough to, as Mike Florio says, wash away the roster “mismanagement” the franchise suffered during Belichick’s latter years.
“Plenty of teams are trying to do what they can to support a young quarterback. I love what the Patriots did. Number one, the cupboard is still fairly bare from the mismanagement by the greatest coach of all-time in his latter years, as not the greatest general manager of all-time,” said the PFT journalist.
Florio went on to break down why he thought the Patriots’ 2025 draft class was so shrewdly selected. His co-host, Chris Simms, who had initially picked the San Francisco 49ers as the team with the best class, quickly backtracked on his choice and agreed with Florio that the Patriots were tops.
“The Will Campbell pick, that was the guy they wanted, short arms or not; he put Mike Vrabel on his ass at his private workout. … Treveyon Henderson, I was thrilled… he isn’t that far down the list as far as top running backs go, some people thought maybe he would sneak into Round 1. And I know how you feel about Kyle Williams, and they got him in Round 3,” added Florio.
The Patriots tied with four other teams for the most selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, with 11. That included two in the third, two in the fourth, and three in the seventh. But it’s the first few that have NFL analysts gushing about New England’s draft performance.
In Round 1, they took the best left tackle in the class, Will Campbell, to protect Maye’s blind side. They also nabbed the best center prospect in the draft in Round 3 with the selection of Jared Wilson. Nothing is more important to a QB than his blind side blocker and his center, and it looks like Vrabel and company nailed both.
The offensive line for the Patriots was one of the worst in the league last year, but their skill-position group was arguably worse. They rectified that and then some during this 2025 offseason. First, they traded for veteran Stefon Diggs on an incentive-laden deal.
Second, they grabbed explosive Ohio State running back Treveyon Henderson in the second round. He is a menace in the open field, with short-area quickness and 4.43 speed. He’s also an excellent addition to the passing game, both in terms of pass-catching and blocking.
Then, Simms’ favorite pick, Washington State wideout Kyle Williams, was taken in the third to bolster that receiver room even further. Williams is speedy but undersized (5’10”), so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him become the latest slot demon in Foxborough. Drake Maye certainly can’t say they’re not looking out for him in New England.
