The NFL Draft is now just a day away, but there are still a couple of different routes the New England Patriots could go with the No. 31 overall pick. There are certainly rumors that they could be trading the pick, but if the right player is available, there are also a few needs to fill.
NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks has a new mock draft out where he has the Patriots holding onto the pick. There, Brooks expects New England to select offensive tackle Max Iheanachor from the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The offensive line became a clear issue for the Patriots during their run in the playoffs. With this pick, head coach Mike Vrabel and EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf would be addressing that, selecting a replacement for the aging Morgan Moses in a few seasons.
“This ascending prospect is not quite ready for prime time,” Brooks wrote. “But the presence of Morgan Moses will allow the Patriots to bring him along slowly. Iheanachor is a mauler with the size, strength and athleticism to flourish as a heavy-handed right tackle.”
Iheanachor is coming off a Second-Team All-Big selection in 2025 and has become an interesting prospect along the offensive line. In particular, because he’s seen as having excellent traits. There’s room to refine his technique, but with Moses still in New England, the Patriots would have time to do just that.
New England Patriots Legend David Andrews Wants the Patriots to Select a Right Tackle
GettyFormer New England Patriots offensive lineman David Andrews
Former New England Patriots center David Andrews recently shared some insight into this upcoming NFL Draft. In particular, that he would like to see the Patriots build along the offensive line, finding the next right tackle up after Morgan Moses.
While speaking about Kadyn Proctor and Blake Miller, Andrews would advocate for Miller. After all, he has immense experience and is a right tackle already.
“I like this Proctor guy. I think there’s a lot of upside to Proctor. To me, it just to the question of — let’s say Morgan Moses played left tackle. You have an older vet guy. Sure, maybe that’s a pick you take because of the upside. Look, if Morgan plays, great,” Andrews said. “But that’s not the scenario. From the team building aspect, that raises questions for me.”
Miller played 3,778 offensive snaps over 54 career games, all of which he started, for the Clemson Tigers. That would be good for three All-ACC selections.
“This guy is a right tackle, has played a lot of right tackle,” Andrews said. “I’ve heard from missing one practice from the wrist and all these [things]. That’s the kind of guy they are. These are two bookends. These are our two guys. They’re gonna help build this culture. We can rely on these guys to be culture builders for this room. That’s something I find very interesting.”
The Patriots Aren’t Moving Will Campbell off Left Tackle
GettyNew England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell
There has been plenty of debate about moving Will Campbell off left tackle and to the interior. That stems from some concern about the length of his arms and his poor play after returning from a knee injury last season.
Despite those concerns, the Patriots have stood by him. Eliot Wolf would make it clear this offseason that Campbell is the team’s left tackle.
“Specifically, when he came back from that injury, I personally didn’t see the same level of lower body strength that you saw before the injury,” EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf said.
“I think the film (showed) that, like he probably had three of his four worst games in the playoffs. But before that, I thought Will played really well out here. I know everyone talks about the arm length, but he has a set of skills that enable him to play with that arm length. He’s really quick out of his stance. He’s technically sound. He’s adding more and more different pass sets to his tool bag that he can use to combat different rushes. And again, he’s 22 years old, and we expect some improvement out of him as well.”
As a rookie, Campbell had a 72.6 overall PFF grade for the regular season. That was 32nd out of 89 tackles who qualified. He was ranked 23rd as a pass blocker and 39th as a run blocker. Hopefully, for the Patriots, with more experience and better help, that will improve.
New Mock Draft has the Patriots Selecting a Replacement Offensive Tackle