With the NFL Pro Day circuit upon us, we near the final phase of 'Draft Season.' We are officially one month away from the 2025 NFL Draft, scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
New England is fresh off their spending spree in which they splurged a whopping $215M during the free agent frenzy (only the Vikings spent more at $244M). While the new acquisitions provide some clarity on team needs entering the draft, there is still plenty of work to be done and pro days are a great way to identify some under-the-radar talent. The top franchises in the NFL understand that any front office which can identify talent in the mid-to-late rounds, is worth their weight in gold.
That is why pro days are such a vital element of the process. When it comes to finding talent on Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft, such workouts can unearth diamonds in the rough that would otherwise have gone undetected. Traditionally, there are about 20-30 players on average every year who were not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine that wind up being selected in the draft. In addition, nearly one-third of every NFL roster consists of undrafted free agents.
One thing to keep in mind when attempting to follow the bread crumbs along the scouting trails, take note of who went where. Oftentimes, the individuals deployed at various workouts could provide telling clues as to just how serious the team is in a prospect and what position of need they could be seeking to address come draft time. Below, you will find some of the latest developments surrounding the Patriots pro day travel itinerary.
PRO DAY REWIND
Last week ended with the revelation that a heavy Patriots contingent was in attendance at Missouri pro day, led by director of player personnel Matt Groh. All signs would seem to indicate that New England is doing their due diligence on Armand Membou, who is a projected to play offensive tackle by many NFL Draft pundits. While LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell remains in play at No.4 overall, the Pats have been identified to have strong interest in the 6-foot-4, 332-pound Membou dating back to the combine last month.
It was in Indianapolis where the nimble big man made believers out of pro decision-makers, running a remarkable 4.91 forty-yard dash, with 31 bench press reps and a 34" vertical jump. That is a rare blend of size and speed for an offensive lineman. With 33.5" arms, length is not as much of a concern with Membou as it is Campbell. However, be advised that Membou, a former tennis player, is more finesse, while Campbell is more mauler.
Another potential Tigers target could be Luther Burden, considered to be the highest-rated recruit in school history. While Burden may not have lived up the hype, he was far from a disappointment, nabbing 192 balls, for 2,263 receiving yards, while accounting for 26 total touchdowns during his three seasons. It's possible that Burden, a projected slot receiver and return man, could be on the board when New England makes their second-round choice at No.38 overall.
While Groh was in Missouri, it's important to note that he leads the charge inside the facility at One Patriots Place for the push to make Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter the pick at No.4. Of course, the most challenging part of that equation, is hoping that he's still available when they get there. There is still no word yet, as to whether Hunter will workout prior to the draft. He opted to sit out the Big 12 pro day event last week.
One other darkhorse candidate who has been linked to the Patriots in round one would be playmaking wideout Tetairoa McMillan of Arizona. Much ado has been made about the timed speed of McMillan, who also worked out last week. Official times have varied, with some reports indicating that he clocked in as fast as 4.48 in the forty-yard dash. Our sources in attendance had most scouts time him in the low-to-mid 4.5-range, which is still plenty fast for the lengthy 6-foot-4, 219-pound receiver. For the optimists out there, Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who possesses a similar body frame, timed 4.53 in the forty coming out of Texas A&M in 2014. As of today, McMillan is expected to be the first full-time wide receiver off the board.
Other noteworthy pro day attendance includes executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, who was on a west coast swing last week, attending pro days at UCLA and Oregon.
The Patriots are said to be looking into Bruins dynamic edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo, should they not land Abdul Carter Jr. with the No.4 overall selection. Oladejo oozes potential and was an imposing force at the Senior Bowl in January. A former off-ball linebacker, the Bruins unlocked a cheat code when they began moonlighting him at the edge position (14.5 tackles for loss, including four and a half sacks in 2024). At 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, Oladejo owns a great frame, explosive get-off and is a fierce competitor with a strong passion for the game. This would be a premium pickup for the Pats at No.38 overall.
UCLA also has a pair of linebackers that New England was able to inspect up close in Kain Medrano, who ran a blistering 4.46 forty-yard dash and former walk-on wonder Cam Schwesinger, who did not run the 40 and is said to have an additional private workout for NFL teams later in the month, per our sources.
During the team's visit to Oregon, the Patriots met with two potential later targets in the draft in running back Jordan James and linebacker Jeffrey Bassa.
It would be a much-needed coup, should New England land a Day 3 running back to provide a switch up from the current group of pedestrians. At 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, James proved his ability to pound the rock between the tackles with a hard-nosed run demeanor. He wastes little time hitting the hole and flashes enough wiggle in the open field to make defenders miss. The Nashville native gained a career-high 1,267 rushing yards this past year and found paydirt 27 times over the past two seasons. He could be available during the later rounds due to a rather ho-hum 4.55 forty-yard dash time.
New England will need to be much more calculated if they wish to nab Bassa during the draft, as he is projected to be one of the first few off-ball linebackers off the board. The former safety specializes in pass coverage, able to defend running backs out of the backfield and tight ends. A three-year starter with 55 games played under his belt, the Salt Lake City native finished with 256 career tackles and three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. At 6-foot-1, 232 pounds, Bassa endured an ankle injury during week one of this past season and managed to play through it the entire year, a testament to his toughness.
Other potential Ducks players who could be on the Patriots' radar include offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., another potential target at No.38 overall, plus later-round prospects such as gadget wide receiver Tez Johnson, plus tight end Terrance Ferguson, who possesses an excellent combination of pass-catching and blocking skill-set. On defense, Oregon boasts a pair of next level down linemen in Derrick Harmon and Jordan Bunch who weigh a combined 600 pounds of pure beef.
PRO DAY SPOTLIGHT
There are still some significant pro day workouts scheduled for the remainder of March, including several in the New England area. Here’s a glimpse at what’s on tap this upcoming week, along with some additional Patriots draft targets:
March 24 Boston College: OT Ozzy Trapilo, OG Jack Conerly, C Drew Kendall, ER Donovan Ezeiruaku
March 25 UConn: OT Chase Lundt, OT Valentin Senn
March 26 Ohio State: QB Will Howard, RB Quinshon Judkins, RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Emeka Egbuka, OT Josh Simmons, OG Donovan Jackson, C Seth McLaughlin
March 27 Notre Dame: QB Riley Leonard, WR Beaux Collins, TE Mitchell Evans, LB Jack Kiser
March 27 Texas A&M: DL Shemar Stewart, ER Nic Scourton
March 28 Penn State: TE Tyler Warren, ER Abdul Carter Jr.
NFL DRAFT PODCAST
On the latest episode of the Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast, Greg is joined by Boston Sports Journal draft expert Ric Serritella for a full NFL Draft preview. They open with Stefon Diggs' visit to New England and his departure without a deal, then shift to the Patriots' offseason and their strategy with the No. 4 pick. They discuss wide receiver trade-up targets if the team selects a tackle early, and offensive tackle options if New England goes with a wideout like Travis Hunter at No. 4. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
*NEXT WEEK: NFL Draft Mailbag! Drop a question below ...
