The Patriots’ draft board is set. What does it look like? Start here with the Herald’s big board of best prospect fits for New England. The Patriots have nine selections and will likely be considering more than 100 players during the draft, a group we’ve pared down starting with their top options at No. 4 overall all the way back to the seventh round. Of note: not all players at positions of need are listed. For example, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, a surefire top-10 pick, is not included because he is not expected to be considered with the fourth overall pick. Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter Ht/Wt: 6-0, 188 Projected round: 1st Scouting report: The top wide receiver and cornerback in the 2025 NFL Draft, Hunter will likely be gone when the Patriots pick fourth overall. Hunter is expected to be selected second overall by the Browns, but if for some reason he’s available, he would be a no-brainer pick for Mike Vrabel and the Patriots. He led the FBS with 15 touchdown catches last season as the Heisman Trophy winner. He’ll likely play both wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL, and many see All-Pro potential at either position. Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter Ht/Wt: 6-3, 250 Projected round: 1st Scouting report: Carter is a certified game-wrecker. Last season, he was named a unanimous All-American on the back of a 12-sack season that included four pass breakups and a couple forced fumbles. Carter bursts off the line and boasts elite speed and flexibility around the edge. He’s amplified his athletic gifts by learning a deep repertoire of pass rush moves that should make him an instant impact player. Michigan DT Mason Graham Ht/Wt: 6-4, 306 Projected round: 1st Scouting report: Graham would be a potential option for the Patriots at the top of the first round, either at No. 4 overall or in a trade-down situation. In some ways, the Patriots’ need at defensive tackle was lessened when they signed Milton Williams in free agency. But there’s little certainty on the defensive line past Williams, with Christian Barmore’s future in football still unclear. Graham is the best of the bunch in the draft. He’s slightly undersized at 6-foot-4, 306 pounds with 32-inch arms, but thrived as a three-technique defensive tackle in Michigan’s defense. He was disruptive as a run defender and pass rusher and made an impact from Day 1 in college. LSU OT Will Campbell Ht/Wt: 6-6, 319 Projected round: 1st Scouting report: The odds-on favorite to be the Patriots’ pick at No. 4, Campbell is a near consensus top-10 prospect. He’s exceptionally athletic for his size and position, fast (4.98 in the 40-yard dash), agile and strong. He’s experienced, with 38 career starts at left tackle over three years. Campbell also brings ideal nastiness and leadership (two-year captain) to a position that has lacked both in recent years. Even on his lesser reps, Campbell’s core strength and balance allow him to recover against elite rushers. He allowed just two sacks in college. Concerns about his arm length and wingspan (seventh percentile for offensive tackles) could eventually force him to move to guard. Missouri OT Armand Membou Ht/Wt: 6-4, 332 Projected round: 1st Scouting report: Another three-year starter, Membou dominated at right tackle for the Tigers with power and athleticism. He clocked a 4.91 in the 40 at the combine, cranked out 31 bench press reps at 225 pounds and validated the explosiveness he shows on tape jumping out of his stance with elite marks in the broad and vertical jumps. Membou plays with great body control and excels in zone-blocking schemes. Georgia EDGE Jalon Walker Ht/Wt: 6-1, 243 Projected round: 1st Scouting report: A loose-hipped, explosive rusher, Walker can play off the ball and win on the edge. He split his defensive snaps almost 50/50 between inside and outside linebacker last year at Georgia, where coaches and teammates reportedly rave about his leadership and competitive character. He had 6.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss and 60 tackles last year as a first-team All-American. Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka Ht/Wt: 6-1, 201 Projected round: 1st-2nd Scouting report: Egbuka primarily played in the slot in college, but he has the size and ability to play outside, as well. He’s a coach’s dream who was named a captain as a senior at Ohio State. The 2024 national champion put together two 1,000-yard seasons in college – one in 2022 as a sophomore and another in 2024 as a senior. He set a program record with 205 career receptions and is second in school history with 2,868 yards. Oregon OT Josh Conerly Jr. Ht/Wt: 6-5, 311 Projected round: 1st-2nd Scouting report: Conerly is a projected late first-round pick with excellent movement skills and strong tape in pass protection. He allowed just six pressures over his last dozen starts, per The Athletic, and helped Oregon shut down All-American edge rusher and projected top-3 pick Abdul Carter during the Big Ten Championship Game. Conerly would do well to get stronger, but his natural talent and experience against high-level competition (two-year starter) makes it easy to project him as a starter at the next level. Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins Ht/Wt: 6-4, 214 Projected round: 2nd Scouting report: Higgins was a late bloomer because he primarily focused on playing basketball in high school, but he’s one of the few prototypical “X” receivers in this class with strong speed (4.47-second 40-yard dash) for his size. Higgins began his college career at Eastern Kentucky before transferring to Iowa State. He dropped just seven passes in 48 career college games and made 87 receptions for 1,183 yards with nine touchdowns in 2024. Miami TE Elijah Arroyo Ht/Wt: 6-5, 254 Projected round: 2nd Scouting report: Arroyo is one of the more athletic tight ends in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he also has the size to compete as a blocker inline. He had just 11 catches in his first three college seasons, then broke out in 2024 with 35 receptions for 590 yards with seven touchdowns. Arroyo dropped just one pass in college. He was a captain during the 2024 season. Ohio State OL Donovan Jackson Ht/Wt: 6-4, 317 Projected round: 2nd Scouting report: Jackson replaced starting left tackle Josh Simmons after a midseason injury by moving over from left guard. His play at tackle improved rapidly down the stretch of a championship season and sent his draft stock soaring. Jackson has good strength and checks several other boxes (53 career games, high football character and discipline with few penalties). Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson Ht/Wt: 5-8, 199 Projected round: 2nd-3rd Scouting report: An undersized back, Sampson more than makes up for his lack of size with plus explosion, vision and long speed (4.42 in the 40-yard dash). He runs hard and fights for every yard, often slipping half-hearted tackles to convert first downs or break long runs. Sampson was named SEC Offensive Player of the year after rushing for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. He took a pre-draft visit to New England. Ole Miss WR Tre Harris Ht/Wt: 6-2, 205 Projected round: 2nd-3rd Scouting report: Harris was on pace for an unbelievable season before injuries slowed him. He caught 60 passes for 1,030 yards with seven touchdowns despite missing five games with a groin injury. A high school quarterback, Harris played five years of college football, so he's slightly older than most of the top prospects. He's another player in this class who can line up at "X" wide receiver, a position of need for the Patriots. TCU WR Jack Bech Ht/Wt: 6-1, 214 Projected round: 2nd-3rd Scouting report: Bech began his college career at LSU and led the Tigers in receptions despite being teammates with Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. and Kayshon Boutte. He transferred to TCU after getting buried on the depth chart and finally emerged as a starter in 2024, when he caught 62 passes for 1,034 yards with nine touchdowns. He has outside-inside versatility, dropped just four passes in college and was named MVP of the Senior Bowl. UCLA EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo Ht/Wt: 6-3, 261 Projected round: 2nd-3rd Scouting report: Oladejo took a pre-draft visit to Foxboro, and it's easy to see why. He fits the prototype for edge rushers who played under Vrabel in Tennessee and applies instant pressure going from speed to power. Oladejo has also played off the ball and plays with non-stop energy. There are some concerns about his play discipline, including ill-timed penalties, but if the Patriots can smooth out some edges in his game, there's starting potential here. Kansas State CB Jacob Parrish Ht/Wt: 5-10, 191 Projected round: 2nd-3rd Scouting report: Parrish fits Vrabel's vision, as a tough, relentless player. He solid cover skills punch to outside corner and nickelback. He plays bigger than his listed frame, and tackles well. Parrish would provide instant competition to incumbent nickel corner Marcus Jones and ball disruption, having recorded 21 pass deflections over the past two years. Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson Ht/Wt: 6-5, 247 Projected round: 3rd Scouting report: Ferguson tested well during the pre-draft process with a 4.63-second 40-yard dash – fastest among top tight ends in the class. He showed a nice combination of speed at power at Oregon and has the ability to play inline or in the slot. Ferguson caught 43 passes for 591 yards with three touchdowns in 2024 as a senior. Washington State WR Kyle Williams Ht/Wt: 5-11, 190 Projected round: 3rd Scouting report: Williams is undersized but played "X" receiver at Washington State, where he caught 70 passes for 1,198 yards with 14 touchdowns in 2024. Williams began his college career at UNLV and played five seasons before entering the NFL draft. He ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at the combine. UCF RB RJ Harvey Ht/Wt: 5-8, 205 Projected round: 3rd-4th Scouting report: A dynamic runner with make-or-miss ability, Harvey rushed for more yards over the past two seasons than all but three other players in major college football. He's exceptionally quick and instinctive as a runner, and should have the potential to become a solid third-down back. He was also voted a team captain last year and has experience on kick returns. Texas EDGE Barryn Sorrell Ht/Wt: 6-3, 256 Projected round: 3rd-4th Scouting report: A physical freak, Sorrell is one of the strongest pound-for-pound players in the draft, and more importantly plays with the exact play demeanor Vrabel wants. His motor runs non-stop, he's violent and makes impact plays against the run and pass. Sorrell was also a captain for eight games last year. Kentucky DL Deone Walker Ht/Wt: 6-8, 328 Projected round: 4th Scouting report: A massive individual, Walker turned 21 in March and was an immediate contributor in the SEC. Walker was named a team captain as a sophomore in 2023, when he earned second-team All-SEC honors while leading Kentucky in sacks and tackles for loss. He slowed down in 2024 due to a back injury but had some highlight reps at the Senior Bowl and was named a captain for a second straight year. Tulane CB Caleb Ransaw Ht/Wt: 6-0, 197 Projected round: 4th Scouting report: Another nickelback prospect, Ransaw is an outstanding athlete who could make an impact on defense and/or special teams as a rookie. Ransaw has played outside corner, nickel and safety plus some linebacker over the last 12 months. His production numbers are down, but there's no question he can compete, tackle and keep pace with electric receivers. He clocked a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash. Texas RB Jaydon Blue Ht/Wt: 5-9, 185 Projected round: 4th-5th Scouting report: Blue is a flat-out weapon. He's explosive and fast, armed with 4.38 speed and elite acceleration. The trouble is Blue played behind several good backs at Texas, making him one of the more inexperienced backs in this class whose lack of reps show up when he has to run inside. He's also slight, even for a 5-foot-9 back, which means the team that drafts him must project how well he can hold up in the NFL. Indiana DT C.J. West Ht/Wt: 6-1, 316 Projected round: 4th-5th Scouting report: One of the more athletic defensive line prospects, West has been compared to journeyman Poona Ford, who received interest from the Patriots in free agency this offseason. He's undersized and lacks length (31 1/2-inch arms), but he ran a 4.95-second 40-yard dash with a quick 1.73-second 10-yard split and impressive 33-inch vertical leap. West moved around Indiana's defensive line after transferring from Kent State and projects as an attacking nose tackle. UCF CB Mac McWilliams Ht/Wt: 5-10, 191 Projected round: 4th-5th Scouting report: McWilliams starred at the Senior Bowl, where the Patriots annually pull top and/or mid-round picks. He's a strong man-to-man player with some scheme versatility and plus ball skills. McWilliams also averaged 11.6 yards on punt return, showcasing some explosiveness with the ball in his hands. He does have a scattershot injury history, but should provide solid value to whichever team drafts him. Syracuse RB LeQuint Allen Ht/Wt: 6-0, 201 Projected round: 4th-5th Scouting report: Allen is a versatile, three-down back who doesn't wow with his athleticism but has a knack for making the right play. He rushed for 1,021 yards last season and had 64 catches – most in major college football – while also playing on special teams. He's a physical blocker in blitz pickup, a skill that often attracts coaches hoping to play rookie backs. Michigan OT Myles Hinton Ht/Wt: 6-7, 325 Projected round: 5th Scouting report: Hinton projects as a swing tackle in the NFL, thanks to his prototypical size and length. He also recorded 12-plus starts at left and right tackle between his time at Michigan and Stanford. Hinton started last season at left tackle in a run-heavy, multiple scheme at Michigan, where he was named All-Big Ten honorable mention. In his two years at Michigan, he was flagged for one penalty. Cal CB Marcus Harris Ht/Wt: 5-10, 189 Projected round: 5th-6th Scouting report: A fearless player, Harris brings boom-or-bust potential with his play style. He balanced the several long completions he allowed last season with nine pass breakups, a forced fumble and 2.5 tackles for loss. He's fast and physical, a capable cover man with experience in man and zone that the Patriots could gamble on Saturday. Alabama TE CJ Dippre Ht/Wt: 6-5, 256 Projected round: 5th-6th Scouting report: Dippre transferred from Maryland to Alabama after his sophomore season. He has a strong combination of size and speed (4.69-second 40-yard dash), but that didn't translate into a ton of college production. He caught 65 passes for 782 yards with three touchdowns in his college career. His greatest asset is his blocking ability, but he has upside as a receiver. Michigan RB Donovan Edwards Ht/Wt: 5-9, 214 Projected round: 6th-7th Scouting report: Though he never lived up to his billing as a five-star recruit, Edwards could bring some untapped potential to the NFL. He tested as one of the best athletes among running backs at the combine (4.44 speed, 38.5-inch vertical jump) and demonstrated strong receiving skills in college. Edwards was also voted a team captain last year, making him an attractive prospect to a team like the Patriots aiming to rebuild their culture and find a new pass-catching back.