The New England Patriots finished the 2024 season with a 4-13 record, the seventh-worst mark in franchise history, and will pick No. 4 overall in the NFL Draft, set April 24-26 in Green Bay.
New England has needs all over the field but especially at offensive line and wide receiver. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye was sacked 34 times in 13 games, and no Patriots wideout had more than 66 catches and 621 yards receiving.
Here are options for the Patriots with the No. 4 overall pick:
OT Will Campbell | LSU
Assuming Campbell, the top-rated offensive tackle in Pro Football Focus’ draft rankings, isn’t selected earlier, New England should target the 6-foot-6, 323-pounder.
He was among the more consistent offensive tackles in college this past season, allowing two sacks on 866 offensive snaps, per PFF. Campbell, the top-rated high school player in Louisiana in 2022, was a first-team All-SEC player in 2024.
PFF calls him a “patient blocker.”
OT Kelvin Banks Jr. | Texas
A three-year starter at Texas, Banks Jr. has the size (6-foot-4 and 320 pounds) that pro scouts love.
Ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinal Friday night against Ohio State, he has one sack allowed in 15 games this season.
The former five-star recruit was the best player on an offensive line that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s best offensive line. (Army earned the honor.)
PFF lauded him for “really impressive balance for a player 320-plus pounds.”
WR Tetairoa McMillan | Arizona
If New England doesn’t go with an offensive lineman in the first round, it could add a versatile receiver such as McMillan. The 6-foot-5, 212-pounder had 1,319 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns this season and 26 receiving touchdowns overall in three seasons for the Wildcats.
The better option at this position might be Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, a cornerback/wide receiver, but he might be off the board by the time New England picks.
PFF lauded McMillan for “difference-making size.”
CB Will Johnson | Michigan
To strengthen a defense that regressed from its 2023 performance (21.5 PPG to 24.5 PPG), New England could go with PFF’s top-rated cornerback.
Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 202-pounder, reeled in two interceptions this past season and racked up 14 tackles in six games. He missed much of the season with a turf toe injury.
In 2023, the Detroit native had four interceptions during Michigan’s national championship season.
PFF lauded him for “change-of-direction ability … of a much smaller corner.”
Edge Abdul Carter | Penn State
Finally, another option for the Patriots for their defense is Carter, who despite limitations because of an apparent left arm injury played impressively in Penn State’s CFP semifinal loss to Notre Dame on Thursday night..
A 6-foot-3, 259-pounder, Carter had 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in 16 games this season.
“Natural explosiveness and bend are both elite,” PFF noted about Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Carter, who declared for the draft Friday, is the second-ranked player on the Big Board of ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
