Here the New England Patriots are with the fourth overall pick, a k a the Joe Milton bleep-up pick.
Whatever the case, the Patriots have a chance, several hours from now, of re-directing the course of the franchise for at least the next decade.
Free agents are great. And there is a bunch of them, a lot of “B-level” guys, maybe even an “A-minus level” guy or two, that should produce on the field and, as important, in the locker room.
But today, Round 1, and tomorrow, Rounds 2 and 3, the Patriots have a chance to get another cornerstone guy … or two.
They are in a position, based on some pretty good roster moves (we think), to continue to be built up by Eliot Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Patriots were in this position before in 2001, though, of course, nobody knew it at the time.
The Patriots were 5-11 in 2000, with what we later realized was a nice core of Bill Parcells guys, and Tom Brady wasn’t attractive to supermodels just yet.
That 2001 NFL Draft, the Patriots had the sixth overall pick, taking Richard Seymour, a pick that brought controversy because he didn’t have the “sacks” on his Georgia resume.
And in the second round, with the 48th pick, the Patriots chose Matt Light, a left tackle out of Purdue. It was another pick that didn’t cause any excitement.
Remember, pro football at the time in New England was not yet a religion. Few people, if any, were impressed.
Yet that draft, first and foremost, set the framework for the first dynasty, which included five Super Bowl trips over a decade.
One of the sport’s best disruptors on defense, Seymour, and a top-five left tackle on offense, Light, for nearly a decade.
Seymour made seven Pro Bowls and earned five All-Pro awards en route to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Light made three Pro Bowls with one All-Pro award earning induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
We can talk about the emergence of Brady and the Parcells holdovers with Bill Belichick guiding them all we want. Seymour and Light made their jobs a tad easier.
That’s what is at stake here, beyond finally having what appears to be a future franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, when you draft sooner than most because of the previous season’s malaise.
Ironically, the 2025 Patriots have similar needs.
They are in need, like a lot of teams, of a top-tier pass rusher or disruptor on defense.
And they need a cornerstone at the most sought after position on the offensive line, left tackle.
The Patriots will have possible options for both, particularly if they choose a top-tier defender within an hour of the draft’s start – edge rushers Abdul Carter (Penn St.) and Jalon Walker (Georgia), or defensive tackle Mason Graham (Michigan).
As for protecting Maye’s blind side at left tackle, there’s a bevy of them, led by Will Campbell (LSU), Kelvin Banks (Texas), Armand Membou (Missouri), Josh Simmons (Ohio State) and Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon).
Will two of them, say Simmons and Conerly, be available when the Patriots pick at No. 38 on Friday?
Maybe there’s another tackle or two the Patriots have their eyes on, maybe a sleeper like Light.
If the Patriots choose LSU’s Will Campbell at No. 4, all bets are off on a top tier defender that would excite the masses this weekend, which in reality doesn’t matter.
But the Patriots have options.
One, they must get one great player from this draft, out of Seymour’s mold, whatever the position. And two, if that isn’t a left tackle then they’ll need to steal one probably on Friday in Round 2.
One other thing, if the Patriots decide to trade up or trade back, which is absolutely possibility, disregard this column.
And enjoy the draft.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.