2025 NFL Draft Simulation Has Patriots Trading No. 1 Overall Pick

The focus is on the future in New England, to say the least.

The Patriots are expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2024, with Their total win was only 4.5. At most bookmakers. The bright side of the futility, of course, is a high-profile draft pick, which New England took advantage of by selecting potential future quarterback Drake May with the third overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Which brings up a fun thought experiment: What would the Patriots do if they got the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?

ESPN’s Field Yates gave us one possible scenario. In a new 2025 NFL draft simulation, New England chooses the first overall pick — and makes a bold move. Yates trades the first pick to the New York Giants for the sixth pick and “multiple” additional picks, then selects Michigan defensive back Will Johnson with the sixth pick.

Here are the top six picks in Yates’s satirical test, followed by Yates’ explanation of New England’s choice:

Giants (via Patriots): Carson Beck, midfielder, Georgia
Carolina Panthers: James Pierce Jr., Edge, Tennessee
Denver Broncos: Kelvin Banks Jr., Surgical Therapist, Texas
Tennessee Titans: Shedore Sanders, midfielder, Colorado
Washington leaders: Michael Williams, Edge, Georgia
Patriots: Will Johnson, linebacker, Michigan

“I would say New England is more likely to go with offensive tackle than cornerback next spring, but I’m not convinced enough by the second-best left tackle in the class in my early tape study to go in that direction and skip Johnson,” Yates wrote.

This would be a puzzling move by Wolf and company.

The New England Patriots have a major weakness on the offensive line, having rotated several players on the left and right sides throughout training camp and the preseason. The offensive line has been so inconsistent that head coach Jerod Mayo admitted he limited Maye to just one series in New England’s preseason opener due to protection issues.

While Will Johnson and 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez could form a lethal young linebacker duo, the Patriots already have an above-average defense. Their focus should be on building around Maye while he’s still under his rookie contract, and that means prioritizing their biggest needs — offensive lineman and receiver — in the 2025 draft.

We’re not against trading in 2025 either. New England would be in an enviable position where they have a top pick but don’t need a midfielder and could get valuable draft capital from a team that needs a midfielder. However, trading again for a midfielder doesn’t make sense, and the smarter play would be to target a first-round pick where the team could pick up one of the best offensive midfielders in the class.

But that debate is still a ways off, and for now, the Patriots are preparing for their preseason finale against 2024 No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders on Sunday night.