One of the top NFL Draft experts has the Patriots addressing two of their top needs in his most recent mock draft projection.
On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler dropped a two-round mock draft. In it, he has New England taking Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 4 overall pick in the Round 1. Then in Round 2, he has the Patriots grabbing Texas tackle Cameron Williams with the No. 38 overall pick.
Grabbing a receiver and a tackle in the top two rounds represents the ideal scenario for New England. Coming off Drake Maye’s promising rookie season, the top priority for new head coach Mike Vrabel is to surround the franchise quarterback with talent.
McMillian has been one of the country’s most productive receivers over the last two seasons. In 2024, he caught 84 passes for 1,319 yards. That’s actually down from his 2023 season, when he caught 90 passes for 1,402 yards.
The 6-foot-5 receiver is heralded as one of the top pass-catchers on the perimeter. Brugler compared McMillan to Bengals star receiver Tee Higgins for his size and ball skills.
“With his tracking skills and fluid catch radius, McMillan has a skill set similar to that of Tee Higgins (who shouldn’t see a minute of free agency, if the Bengals are smart),” Brugler wrote.
Williams is a stout, powerful prospect at tackle, weighing in at 6-foot-5, 335 pounds. He played right tackle for the Longhorns this past season, with the left tackle spot going to Kelvin Banks, who’s arguably the best OL prospect in this class.
Williams has been praised for being a mauler. However, there are some concerns about his technique and ability to keep up with top-end athletes in pass protection.
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