After a week of work at the NFL Scouting Combine, the New England Patriots have a road map for this offseason. The team is armed with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft and a truckload of cap space to use in free agency as Mike Vrabel and company look to build a winning team for 2025.

The Patriots have plenty of needs all over the roster. Aside from the glaring need for a top-end receiver, New England needs to bulk up both its offensive and defensive lines. There is also a need for a No. 2 cornerback and some more playmakers at linebacker.

ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss was in Indianapolis at the combine, and says the Patriots have charted out a number of paths the team could follow this offseason. But when it comes to building a team that will enjoy much more success than the four-win squad in 2024, Reiss says it all starts in the trenches.

Patriots will focus on building out offensive, defensive lines

“They’re going to build from the inside out and try to find offense and defensive linemen to shore up what they felt was a big weakness last year,” Reiss told WBZ-TV’s Steve Burton on Sunday night’s Sports Final. 

The Patriots need to do a much better job protecting Drake Maye in his second NFL season, and free agency will be New England’s best avenue to make an immediate impact along the offensive line. Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley appears to be the team’s top target. He’s going to cost a pretty penny, but Reiss believes the Patriots should go above and beyond to land his services. 

“If he is available, throw the bag at him, for lack of a better term,” said Reiss. “You may have to overpay him, but that guy would be a great start to your offseason.”

Vikings left tackle Cam Robinson and Steelers tackle Dan Moore Jr. are other options available in free agency, and Reiss said the team should also look to draft some linemen in middle and later rounds of the draft. 

On the defensive side, the Patriots are going to look to add a threat off the edge after finishing with just 28 sacks last season — dead last in the NFL. If the Patriots get lucky, Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter may be available at fourth overall, depending on how the top of the draft shakes out.

But if Carter is gone, and quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are both taken in the Top 3, the Patriots will have a chance to add a unique weapon with the No. 4 pick.

Could Travis Hunter fall to Patriots in NFL Draft?

If the 2025 NFL Draft starts with Carter going to the Titans followed by the Brown and the Giants taking quarterbacks, then New England will have a chance to draft two-way star Travis Hunter, who caught a lot of passes at Colorado as both a cornerback and a wide receiver. 

“If [Hunter falls to fourth], I think it’s a run up to the podium and hand in the card pick,” Reiss said of New England drafting Hunter. “At No. 4, you need an elite, premium player regardless of the position. You’re only up there so many times.”

Reiss said that director of player personnel Matt Groh turned in two different scouting reports on Hunter from the Combine; one as a receiver and one as a corner. 

“I would play him at receiver,” Reiss said of Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy and awards as the top receiver and top corner in college football last season. “I don’t know where the Patriots view him as the better fit, but I would implore them [to play him at receiver].”

If not Hunter, then what for Patriots?

Either Carter or Hunter at No. 4 would be a great pick for the Patriots. But what if neither is available?

“If you get passed Carter and Hunter, what concerns me for the Patriots is there is not a slam dunk right now,” said Reiss.

Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham is a possible selection, but he weighed in at just 296 lbs at the Combine. There are also size concerns with LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell, whose arms measured in at just 32 5/8 inches. The threshold to play tackle in the NFL has been 33 inches or longer, so Campbell will likely be viewed as a guard going forward.

“You need to have the reach to keep rushers at bay,” said Reiss. “So that is a question the Patriots are going to ask, how much of a concern is the substandard arm length?”

If neither Carter or Hunter are available at No. 4, there’s a good chance the Patriots will look to trade down on April 24.  

Free agent options for the Patriots

The Patriots have the most cap space in the NFL at nearly $128 million, which should give them a leg up on the opposition if they’re willing to pay up for some top talent. But some of that top talent might not be available when free agency kicks off March 10.

Receiver options could be limited, with Tee Higgins expected to get the franchise tag from the Cincinnati Bengals and Chris Godwin unlikely to leave Tampa Bay. The Patriots could make a run at L.A. Chargers free agent Josh Palmer (182 receptions and 10 touchdowns over his four NFL seasons), or look to swing a trade for veteran pass-catchers D.K. Matcalf or Cooper Kupp. 

The Patriots will likely look to bulk up their defensive line with Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams, who had a career-high five sacks and 10 QB hits for the Super Bowl champs last season. And at linebacker, Vrabel may reunite with Harold Landry, who was recently given permission by the Titans to seek out a trade.