Mel Kiper Projects How Patriots Will Use No. 4 Overall Draft Pick

The Patriots offense needs a lot of work, so it would make sense to add support for Drake Maye with the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft.

However, as Mel Kiper Jr. outlined in his first 2025 mock draft, New England might come across a defensive player who’s simply too talented to ignore at that spot.

In a column published Wednesday, Kiper projected the Tennessee Titans to select quarterback Cam Ward at No. 1 overall, followed by Travis Hunter (Cleveland Browns) and Shedeur Sanders (New York Giants). Those picks put game-changing linebacker Abdul Carter right in the Patriots’ lap.

“Carter is instinctive and fast, and he seems to always be around the ball,” Kiper wrote. “He converted from off-ball linebacker to the edge this season and dominated to the tune of 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss. For a New England team that struggled to get pressure, Carter would be a massive addition. New coach Mike Vrabel could move him around and use his disruptive traits to improve the Patriots’ league-low sack count (28).

“New England also has glaring holes at receiver and on the offensive line. If Hunter is still on the board, he fits. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan makes some sense, too. And there’s a shot the Pats get an offer to trade back, which would put them in a better spot to take one of the top offensive tackles. But Carter — my No. 2 prospect — could take this defense to another level.”

It’s important for a team to leave no stone unturned as it assesses how to best utilize a first-round draft pick. But so often the most sound approach is simply taking the best player available, and if Ward, Hunter and Sanders all are taken inside the top three, Carter arguably would be the best overall talent available when the Patriots go on the clock.