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The Joe Milton III trade helped the New England Patriots slightly move up the draft board.
Some will argue until the cows come home that the Patriots should have gotten more for their promising young quarterback. They ultimately decided to ship Milton and a seventh-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-rounder.
It's still a win on the Patriots' end considering they moved a third-string quarterback who was drafted in the sixth round in 2024 for a fifth-round pick.
However, some might argue that it would have been smarter keeping Milton on the roster to serve as quarterback Drake Maye's backup over moving him for a fifth-round pick.
With that said, the pick could come in handy to draft another fifth-round prospect or package with other picks to move up the draft board. The Patriots pull off a couple of trades in our latest 2025 NFL mock draft.
Here's who the team landed on in seven rounds:
The Patriots didn't need to stay at No. 4 to get the top projected receiver on the draft board. With Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter both gone, the Patriots decide to trade down with the New Orleans Saints.
They get an extra second-round pick for their efforts and the true X-receiver they've been waiting for. McMillan is a human highlight reel capable of helping Drake Maye take the top off defenses.
After securing another second-round pick in the trade with the Saints, the Patriots are more comfortable shipping a slew of picks to the Minnesota Vikings to move back up the board later in the first round.
They target Oregon left tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with this move. Conerly has one of the highest ceilings of all of the tackles in this draft. He's an elite pass protector with the desired size at the NFL level.
A major need that often goes unnoticed for the Patriots is at edge rusher. They've done a great job of beefing up in the trenches with the blockbuster addition of Milton Williams.
They'd do well to add another disruptive force opposite of Harold Landy III by selecting Ohio State's Jack Sawyer. The two-time Second-Team All-Big Ten defender plays with a high motor and relentless pursuit.
The Patriots aren't done at offensive tackle.
They fielded one of the worst offensive lines in the league last season, and they must double down at their greatest area of weakness. They managed to do so in this draft by selecting Boston College's Ozzy Trapilo in the third round. The team already has great intel on the player through their connection with Boston College coach Bill O'Brien.
A tackle room with Josh Conerly Jr., Morgan Moses, Ozzy Trapilo, Caedan Wallace, Vederian Lowe and Demontrey Jacobs is a massive improvement over what they had last year.
Harold Fannin Jr. isn't the most well-rounded tight end on the draft board, but with the right offensive mind, he could be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses at the next level.
His ability to make plays with the ball in his hands is rare for a player his size. Drake Maye needs more offensive playmakers in the lineup, and Fannin is a player capable of contributing right out of the gates.
Rhamondre Stevenson is still the No. 1 running back in the room. So it doesn't make sense for the Patriots to reach too high at running back, especially when they have other needs to address.
They wait until the fifth round in this mock draft to select Georgia's Trevor Etienne. The former Bulldog is a solid change-of-pace option with tremendous vision and great hands. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has a long history of getting the most out of similar running back archetypes.
Jason Marshall Jr. has the size that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel generally covets in the defensive backfield. He's a big and physical corner with the potential to excel at man coverage in the NFL.
The Patriots have an ironclad cornerback duo with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III, but they could use some additional depth in the pipeline for emergencies. Marshall is an intriguing developmental prospect with high-end potential.
Ja'Corey Brooks is the late dart throw pick for the Patriots in this mock draft. His lack of speed will turn some people off, but his ball-tracking skills and natural ability to make big plays in key moments make him one of the more fun late-round prospects. He has the potential to contribute with some solid coaching and fundamental improvements.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 7-round mock draft: Patriots use Joe Milton pick to make two trades
Continue reading...
Some will argue until the cows come home that the Patriots should have gotten more for their promising young quarterback. They ultimately decided to ship Milton and a seventh-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-rounder.
It's still a win on the Patriots' end considering they moved a third-string quarterback who was drafted in the sixth round in 2024 for a fifth-round pick.
However, some might argue that it would have been smarter keeping Milton on the roster to serve as quarterback Drake Maye's backup over moving him for a fifth-round pick.
With that said, the pick could come in handy to draft another fifth-round prospect or package with other picks to move up the draft board. The Patriots pull off a couple of trades in our latest 2025 NFL mock draft.
Here's who the team landed on in seven rounds:
TRADE! Round 1, pick No. 9: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
- Patriots get: No. 9 pick, No. 40 pick
- Saints get: No. 4 pick
The Patriots didn't need to stay at No. 4 to get the top projected receiver on the draft board. With Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter both gone, the Patriots decide to trade down with the New Orleans Saints.
They get an extra second-round pick for their efforts and the true X-receiver they've been waiting for. McMillan is a human highlight reel capable of helping Drake Maye take the top off defenses.
TRADE! Round 1, pick No. 24: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
- Patriots get: No. 24 pick
- Vikings get: No. 38 pick, No. 77 pick, No. 171 pick
After securing another second-round pick in the trade with the Saints, the Patriots are more comfortable shipping a slew of picks to the Minnesota Vikings to move back up the board later in the first round.
They target Oregon left tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with this move. Conerly has one of the highest ceilings of all of the tackles in this draft. He's an elite pass protector with the desired size at the NFL level.
Round 2, pick No. 40: Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State
A major need that often goes unnoticed for the Patriots is at edge rusher. They've done a great job of beefing up in the trenches with the blockbuster addition of Milton Williams.
They'd do well to add another disruptive force opposite of Harold Landy III by selecting Ohio State's Jack Sawyer. The two-time Second-Team All-Big Ten defender plays with a high motor and relentless pursuit.
Round 3, pick No. 69: Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Boston College
The Patriots aren't done at offensive tackle.
They fielded one of the worst offensive lines in the league last season, and they must double down at their greatest area of weakness. They managed to do so in this draft by selecting Boston College's Ozzy Trapilo in the third round. The team already has great intel on the player through their connection with Boston College coach Bill O'Brien.
A tackle room with Josh Conerly Jr., Morgan Moses, Ozzy Trapilo, Caedan Wallace, Vederian Lowe and Demontrey Jacobs is a massive improvement over what they had last year.
Round 4, pick No. 106: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
Harold Fannin Jr. isn't the most well-rounded tight end on the draft board, but with the right offensive mind, he could be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses at the next level.
His ability to make plays with the ball in his hands is rare for a player his size. Drake Maye needs more offensive playmakers in the lineup, and Fannin is a player capable of contributing right out of the gates.
Round 5, pick No. 144: Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia
Rhamondre Stevenson is still the No. 1 running back in the room. So it doesn't make sense for the Patriots to reach too high at running back, especially when they have other needs to address.
They wait until the fifth round in this mock draft to select Georgia's Trevor Etienne. The former Bulldog is a solid change-of-pace option with tremendous vision and great hands. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has a long history of getting the most out of similar running back archetypes.
Round 7, pick No. 220: Jason Marshall Jr., CB, Florida
Jason Marshall Jr. has the size that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel generally covets in the defensive backfield. He's a big and physical corner with the potential to excel at man coverage in the NFL.
The Patriots have an ironclad cornerback duo with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III, but they could use some additional depth in the pipeline for emergencies. Marshall is an intriguing developmental prospect with high-end potential.
Round 7, pick No. 238: Ja'Corey Brooks, WR, Louisville
Ja'Corey Brooks is the late dart throw pick for the Patriots in this mock draft. His lack of speed will turn some people off, but his ball-tracking skills and natural ability to make big plays in key moments make him one of the more fun late-round prospects. He has the potential to contribute with some solid coaching and fundamental improvements.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 7-round mock draft: Patriots use Joe Milton pick to make two trades
Continue reading...
