The New England Patriots might have something special here with Drake Maye, but will they be able to make the most of the Maye era? The one way to fail your QB is to surround him with a bad offensive line and a poor supporting cast. Heading into Drake Maye's first season in the NFL, the Pats fielded what was easily the least-talented offense in the NFL.
In free agency this year, the Pats have made some notable signings. Below is a list of some of their key signings on the offensive side of the ball:
RT Morgan Moses
C Garrett Bradbury
OG Wes Schweitzer
WR Mack Hollins
TE Austin Hooper
More work is needed on offense. The Patriots need a franchise left tackle and some wide receiver help. Can they land both in this mock draft?
Patriots NFL Mock Draft: Can they make the most of Drake Maye era?
4. Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
The New England Patriots use their fourth overall pick on Armand Membou from Missouri. The main thing with Membou is that he is probably kicking inside at the NFL level, so he can perhaps occupy the left guard spot with Garrett Bradbury at center and Mike Onwenu kicking back inside to guard.
Bradbury was a recent signing and does have a ton of starting experience, but didn't have the best tenure with his first team, the Minnesota Vikings. Maybe a new team will help Bradbury establish himself as a steady center.
38. Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
Available at the top of the second round, the New England Patriots take Mike Green from Marshall to add to their pass rush department. The Pats did also sign Harold Landry, who played for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. Adding Green and Landry to the pass rush unit does make the Patriots quite scary for the next few seasons.
69. Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
With their free agency moves along the offensive line and addressing the unit again at pick four in this 2025 NFL Mock Draft, they temporarily turn their attention to the WR room, which is absolutely among the worst in the NFL.
Drake Maye is now going to be upright in New England, but he needs better players to throw to. Jayden Higgins is a flat-out insane athlete and is a big-bodied target who can develop into that "X" role at the WR position in the NFL.
Maye needs 'his guy' at wide receiver. If you remember back to the first few years of many QBs' careers in the NFL, you'll notice that teams went out and found a stud WR1. Josh Allen had Stefon Diggs. Kyler Murray had prime DeAndre Hopkins. Patrick Mahomes had Tyreek Hill, and the list goes on.
Drake Maye needs someone like that.
77. Jared Wilson, OC, Georgia
The Patriots are not done addressing their offensive line in this mock draft. They take center Jared Wilson from Georgia and simply add another viable OL prospect to the room for Mike Vrabel. Garrett Bradbury could slide in as their starting center for the time being, but Wilson could be their long-term option.
De-facto GM Eliot Wolf has clearly made a notable investment along the offensive line in this latest Patriots mock draft. Will that continue with their next selection, the 106th overall pick?
106. Anthony Belton, OT, NC State
The answer is yes. Anthony Belton is a multi-year starter at left tackle at the collegiate level, and with the Patriots not have a viable LT on the roster right now, Belton hopes to change that. With three of their first five picks being along the offensive line, coupled with their numerous offensive line additions, it is safe to say that they hope Drake Maye never gets touched.
I don't believe this is overkill, as we have seen what a top-tier OL does to a team. If the Patriots do field a top-notch offensive line in the 2025 NFL Season, they will absolutely compete for a Wild Card spot in the AFC.
144. Pat Bryant, WR, Illinois
Pat Bryant is a 6'3" frame who had 54 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, averaging 18.2 yards per catch. This gives him some enticing big-play ability that the New England Patriots could hope to develop at the NFL level.
Drake Maye now has two new, massive targets on offense in Jayden Higgins and Pat Bryant.
217. Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech
It would not shock me if the Patriots also dipped into the insanely deep RB class to add a body to their RB stable. At pick 217, they opt for Tahj Brooks from Texas Tech. We're really getting into some weapons now for Drake Maye after the massive investment into the offensive line earlier in this mock draft.
220. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT, Georgia
The Patriots signed Milton Williams in free agency, adding one of the best free agents to their DT room. They use pick 220 in this NFL Mock Draft on another defensive tackle in Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins from Georgia.
239. Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana
I don't necessarily think this is a waste of a draft pick at all. Finding a competent backup QB is huge in today's NFL, as it seems like backup QBs are playing with more frequency than they ever had before. I went with Kurtis Rourke at pick 239. Josh Dobbs is in New England as the backup for now, but perhaps Rourke can develop on the practice squad for a year or so.
Being a backup QB in the NFL is more than just 'holding a clipboard,' as the starting QB is always seen talking to his QB coach and backup QB many times during an NFL game. The Patriots do some proactive drafting and take their future QB2 in Rourke at pick 239, finishing off this mock draft.
Would this New England Patriots mock draft give the team a foundational class for the future?