Patriots Draft Profile: This Prospect Could Play Perfectly Into Plans
The New England Patriots currently hold the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Do they need to keep it, though?
We have zero idea how things will play out over the next few weeks, which is sort of a good thing. The Patriots have plenty of options, and while drafting Colorado’s Travis Hunter or LSU’s Will Campbell is tantalizing, we’re intrigued by another path.
New England could trade back and still address its biggest need.
Josh Simmons might not be a name you’ve been beaten over the head with like others we’ve mentioned, but the likelihood he’s targeted next month seems to increase by the day. It won’t be the most popular path back toward contention anyway, so why not consider all options?
OVERVIEW
Simmons is a tough nut to crack because he showed continuous growth throughout his collegiate career, only to have it cut short due to a season-ending knee injury in 2024. The Buckeyes obviously overcame losing their blindside protector, but it isn’t because he’s some scrub.
We believe there’s a chance he’d be viewed as the best offensive lineman in the class without an injury, which doesn’t sound like it’ll linger into the season.
“I’m really way ahead of schedule, will be cut loose in mid-April to give everybody a good pro day,” Simmons said at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
Ohio State is a known developer of offensive line talent, having put Dawand Jones, Nicholas Petit-Frere and Paris Johnson Jr. into the league over the last couple of seasons — to varying results. Simmons will be next after transferring in from San Diego State, and very well could be the best of the bunch.
NFL SCOUTING COMBINE
Simmons couldn’t participate in on-field drills, but he measured out pretty well at the combine. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport also reported that his medical reviews during the event went very well, and the expectation is that he’ll be ready for 2025.
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 317lbs
Hand: 10″
Arm: 33″
Wingspan: 82″
STRENGTHS
Simmons is extremely mobile for an offensive lineman, making him a tremendous fit for systems that utilize pulling tackles and shorter route concepts — two staples in Josh McDaniels’ offenses.
The Patriots would certainly appreciate his explosiveness, as he builds speed to power on screens and front-side runs like a pass-rusher normally would. Simmons’ athleticism allows him to effectively mirror speed, with a decent anchor also allowing him to absorb power — making him an effective opponent of rushers of all shapes and sizes.
We haven’t seen the best of him, either.
WEAKNESSES
Simmons’ injury history and lack of time in a premier program leave question marks, but not ones that can’t easily be answered.
You can still see how raw he is at times, particularly with his hand placement and penchant for jumping offsides. It’s also tough seeing him tone down his overaggressiveness anytime soon, which means there might be some holding penalties and blown assignments in his future.
WHY NOT JUST TAKE WILL CAMPBELL?
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t care whether a prospect has short arms, so we won’t sit here and act like Campbell probably isn’t higher on their draft board than Simmons.
We just want to prepare for a scenario where they receive an offer too good to be true.
NESN’s George Balekji had me on “Foxboro Rush” on Monday, and I essentially talked myself into this very scenario during the episode. Simmons is good enough to seriously consider it, especially if there’s an opportunity to pick up draft capital either this year or in the future.
New England probably would prefer to just address the need with the best player available, but we think this is a worthwhile option to explore.
If you’d like more individual profiles, check out the full series.