NFL Mock Draft: Patriots Pass On Shocking Names

The New England Patriots have seen no shortage of debate surrounding how they should tackle their number four pick in this year's draft.

Placing just outside of the top three spots puts New England in an interesting position in terms of how this year's class stacks up. Many have seen Colorado's Travis Hunter and Penn State's Abdul Carter as the two top blue-chip guys in the incoming group of prospects, and with three teams lying ahead of them on the board, the Patriots could be out of luck in securing either of those talents.

Yet, what if the Patriots passed on both prospects even if the two of them were on the board?

In Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports' latest mock draft, the Patriots do just that.

Instead of picking up Hunter or Carter, Wilson predicted the Patriots to target LSU tackle Will Campbell to shore up their questions on the offensive line.

"Campbell has been my OT2 throughout and while he's not as athletic as Kelvin Banks Jr., he's been incredibly consistent throughout his LSU career," Wilson wrote. "He had his struggles with Jared Verse in '23 (who didn't), and the formidable South Carolina front four gave him trouble at times in the fall, but good luck finding a left tackle more reliable play in and play out than Campbell."

At the top of the board, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders went one and three respectively, while Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham was pinned at two –– which would give the Patriots a golden opportunity at number four to land a franchise cornerstone like Hunter or Carter.

But in this scenario, the Patriots focus more on drafting for fit as opposed to best player available.

New England had their fair share of offensive line troubles through 2024. Outside of Michael Onwenu on the right side, the Patriots were inconsistent, and had replacement-level guys filling in across the season.

Adding Campbell into that mix would provide some much-needed help to the offensive end, and even be an aid to the development of Drake Maye.

Still, prioritizing Campbell could be a tough sell to select him over either Carter, who fell fifth to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Hunter, who fell sixth to the Las Vegas Raiders. Especially for a tackle who has questions of if he's the top at his position in the class, better options may be on the table.

It'd be a wild outcome to play out for the Patriots, but one that can't be totally counted out as we enter an unpredictable first year in the Mike Vrabel regime.

New England will finalize their critical decision at number four when the first round of the NFL Draft finally arrives on April 24th at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!