The New England Patriots have a lot of needs to address in the 2025 NFL Draft.
It was a productive free agency period for the Patriots, but it had to be after a 4-13 season with one of the worst rosters in the sport. Left tackle and wide receiver stand out as the biggest needs remaining, but there are plenty of other spots that could also use upgrades.
Both tackle and wideout will be crucial spots to fill for young star quarterback Drake Maye to have a successful career in New England.
In a recent mock draft, Patriots Wire’s Cam Garrity predicted that the Patriots would make not just one, but two trades in the first round. First, they’d trade back from the fourth to the ninth-overall pick with the New Orleans Saints, then they’d trade up from 38th to 24th with the Minnesota Vikings.
Most intriguing of all, Garrity predicted that with that 24th pick, the Patriots would land a long-awaited top receiver: Jayden Higgins of Iowa State.
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“This might not be the Higgins fans wanted at the start of the offseason, but this is the Higgins Patriots fans will learn to love. He has good size, speed and hands, and very much reminds me of Brian Thomas Jr. from last year, who went in the first round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.”
“Minnesota needs more picks, as they only have four after trading for former San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason. The Patriots can get aggressive while the Vikings can add some picks between 24 and 97.”
Higgins, 22, was named a third-team All-American after a 1,183-yard, nine-touchdown campaign for the Cyclones. He has an impressive 39-inch vertical at 6-foot-4, so he’d bring a huge target radius to Maye and the New England offense.
The 24th pick seems like a reasonable spot for Higgins to land, so if he’s still on the board and the Patriots use their first pick on a tackle, this prediction would have a solid chance of coming true.
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