The New England Patriots will be looking to improve almost every element of their team in the 2025 NFL draft, which starts on April 24 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. By virtue of their second straight 4-13 season, the Patriots possess the coveted No. 4 pick in the first round â a pick they could use to acquire additional selections to help build out their roster.
That is exactly what the Patriots are predicted to do in two separate new mock draft scenarios, dealing the No. 4 pick for a lower first round draft selection as well as picking up an additional picks in the second round and, in one of the mock drafts, a fourth-round pick as well. But both hypothetical drafts see the Patriots using their new, lower first-round pick to take an SEC edge rusher who, according to his NextGen stats prospect grade of 6.5 is seen as having “boom-or-bust potential.”
Patriots Select Georgia Linebacker Jalon Walker
The player on the Patriots mock draft radar is Georgia junior Jalon Walker who played on the Bulldogs’ 2022 national championship team, and recorded 12.5 sacks in 43 games over his three seasons with Georgia.
“Some see Walker as a ‘tweener’ while others view him as a ‘hybrid.’ Either way, Walker can go,” according to an NFL.com draft scouting report. “His career snap count is split between edge and linebacker, and his leadership is famous in the Georgia building. Heâs still working to fine-tune his instincts and efficiency as an off-ball linebacker but has the take-on and closing burst to become a productive pro at that spot.”
In a mock draft compiled by Phil Perry, the Patriots insider reporter for NBC Sports Boston, the Patriots make a deal with Las Vegas Raiders to swap the No. 4 pick for the Raiders’ first round pick, which comes in the No. 6 slot. New England then selects Walker at No. 6 overall.
Why would the Raiders want to jump up two spots to grab the fourth pick? According to Perry, “in this move, the Raiders give away a second-rounder to scoot up two spots in order to ensure they can outbid the Saints and Steelers,” in the race to draft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Patriots Add Draft Assets in Two Mock Draft Scenarios
The Raiders also send the Patriots the 37th overall pick in Perry’s mock draft projection â giving New England back-to-back picks in Round 2, as they already own the sixth pick in the second round, which is No. 38 overall.
But New England gets even more by trading the No. 4 pick down four notches to No. 8, in a swap with the Carolina Panthers, according to a new mock draft put together by Pat Lee of the SB Nation site Pats Pulpit.
But in the Pats Pulpit mock draft, the Patriots also end up with Walker, this time picked at No. 8.
“Walker brings a ton of explosiveness and an ability to get after the quarterback. The Patriots need guys that can change the game and impact the QB on every play, and Walker has shown he can do that at a high level,” Lee wrote. “Walker would instantly give the Patriots an explosive pass rusher to pair with Keion White and Christian Barmore.”
In Lee’s mock draft, the Patriots add the 57th overall pick in the second round, and also get another fourth-rounder at No. 110. The Patriots already possess one fourth-round selection, at No. 107.
If they put the Pats Pulpit scenario into play, they will get dual picks in each of the second, third, and fourth rounds. In Round 3, they have their own pick at No. 69, as well as a pick obtained from the Atlanta Falcons in a 2024 trade for edge rusher Matt Judon. That pick comes in at No. 77.
New England also has three selections in the seventh round, giving new head coach Mike Vrabel 11 total picks to work with, using the Pats Pulpit projection. The Patriots currently own eight picks in the 2026 NFL draft as well, doubling up in the sixth round with a Kansas City Chiefs pick obtained for linebacker Josh Uche.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Patriots Deal No. 4 Pick to Panthers, Take SEC Edge Rusher in New Mock Draft appeared first on Heavy Sports.