What if the New England Patriots go defense in the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft?
That's the possibility explored by ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller in his latest mock draft projection Thursday. While the Patriots have glaring needs at wide receiver and offensive tackle, Miller had them taking a cornerback -- Michigan's Will Johnson.
Here's Miller's analysis of his projection of New England landing Johnson with the No. 6 pick:
"Left tackle is an important need for the Patriots, but the offensive tackle class isn't strong beyond Kelvin Banks Jr. So instead of reaching, the Patriots could fill another need at corner with Johnson, my top-rated prospect in the class. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Johnson fits the mold of Pat Surtain II, showing excellent ball skills and the physicality to hang with NFL wide receivers. He has been limited by injuries this season but has two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns. Pairing Johnson with 2023 first-rounder Christian Gonzalez would give the Patriots a legitimate spot of strength on defense, and having two top corners on rookie contracts would give New England flexibility to build around them."
As Miller mentions, the top tackle in this 2024 NFL Draft class is Texas' Kelvin Banks, who he has going to the Jaguars at No. 3. Meanwhile, Miller has a pair of top receiving talent coming off the board at No. 2 (CB/WR Travis Hunter at No. 2 and Luther Burden III at No. 5).
Plenty can change between now and the draft in April, including New England's draft position. But as things stand, the Patriots might not have a crack at this year's top offensive tackle. That's an issue, since there's an apparent gap between Banks and the next tackle on the board.
After Banks, the next offensive lineman taken is fellow Texas tackle Cameron Williams at No. 16. Meanwhile, LSU's Will Campbell (who was previously considered the top OL this year) is projected to go at No. 17, with Miller speculation that Campbell could bump inside to guard.
Wide receiver could still be a possibility for the Patriots. This is a strong class for the position. Miller had Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan going to the Panthers at No. 8.