3 players Patriots must take on Day 2 of 2025 NFL Draft

04/25/2025 07:51 AM

Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and the New England Patriots got themselves a potential left tackle for the foreseeable future. The Patriots took LSU offensive tackle Will Campbellwith the fourth overall pick as they seek to fortify their offensive line.

Even though the Patriots used a top-five pick to address the offensive line on Thursday, it shouldn’t be the last time they look to add to up front in the 2025 NFL Draft. As the Patriots hold three picks on Day 2 of the draft (No. 38 overall, Round 2; No. 69 overall, Round 3; No. 77 overall, Round 3), here is one player they should take for each pick they have on Friday.

Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins

Beyond offensive tackle, the common consensus entering the 2025 NFL Draft was that wide receiver was the Patriots’ biggest need. After drafting Ja’Lynn Polk last year and signing Stefon Diggs in March, the Patriots still need some help on the boundary.

Higgins is the perfect player for the Patriots to get at No. 38 to help fill that role. He’s got the measurables (6-foot-4, 219 pounds), the traits (4.47 40, 9.85 Relative Athletic Score) and production (87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024) to fit the bill as an X wide receiver. His big body frame helped him finish as Pro Football Focus’ eighth-best receiver against man coverage (min. 60 targets) last season as he had five touchdowns against man coverage. He wound up finishing with 25 receptions for 372 yards and five touchdowns against man coverage, only recording two drops all season long, regardless of coverage.

Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins is a graceful 6-4 and 215 pounds and you can see his technique catching up with his size/speed.

Higgins told me he started to shift his focus from basketball to football as a junior in HS. His best football is still ahead of him. pic.twitter.com/ULGmnvi20n

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 27, 2024

That’s the kind of receiver that Drake Maye needs. The Patriots got their quarterback the offensive lineman he needed on Thursday, so it’s time to get him a receiver who’s a strong fit for him on Friday.

Georgia G Tate Ratledge

As the Patriots got the player who they seem to think will be their left tackle for years to come, they’ve got other needs to address on the offensive line. Left guard is chief among them as Cole Strange hasn’t lived up to his first-round billing and Layden Robinson struggled as a rookie.

So, get one of the best guards in the nation last season with one of your third-round picks. Ratledge was a three-year starter at guard for Georgia. He only allowed two sacks over those three years and was named a first-team All-American this past season.

Ratledge’s performance at the NFL Scouting Combine suggests that his production in college was legit, not that there should’ve been any doubt, though, as he went up against SEC competition. His 98 athleticism score was the best among guards as he ran the 40 in 4.97 seconds. He also recorded elite numbers in the vertical jump (32 inches) and broad jump (9-5), giving him the fifth-highest Relative Athletic Score (9.97) for a guard since 1987.

Tate Ratledge 4.97 unofficial 40 pic.twitter.com/Ix2oVAiKVs

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 2, 2025

That combination of production and athleticism is incredibly enticing, which should be a tell for the Patriots that they should draft Ratledge.

UCLA EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo

The Patriots should really go all offense in the first three rounds of the draft. But if they select Jayden Higgins with their second-round pick, they likely won’t be able to draft either Ohio State running back (TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins). So, that should be a position they target on Day 3.

Defensively, the Patriots could use some help along the edge. They had the fewest sacks in the league last year and haven’t really developed a standout at the position at all in recent years, excluding Joshua Uche’s one standout season.

Femi Oladejo out of #UCLA is one of the more interesting prospects in this draft

Didn't start playing off the edge until midway through THIS YEAR, but his tape and traits are the type of stuff you bet on

: Here's a minute and a half of some of his best plays of the year pic.twitter.com/UL2b4aG5ae

— The Draft Room (@TheDraftRoomNFL) April 23, 2025

Oladejo, whom the Patriots hosted for a 30 visit, could be a good player to take a chance on with their third-round pick. As a senior in 2024, Oladejo had a bit of a breakout year. He recorded 57 combined tackles, 4.5 sacks, 33 pressures, and 29 run stops. He was previously an off-ball linebacker before moving over to edge rusher this past year, showing some versatility. He’s also got some athleticism, reportedly running a 4.46 40 time at his pro day, which would've been the quickest time among all edge rushers at the combine this year.

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