Patriots Draft Profile: Local Prospect Best Fit At Tackle?
The Patriots will almost certainly find their next blindside protector in the 2025 NFL Draft, but when?
New England filled the majority of its needs throughout free agency, with Stefon Diggs recently joining a loaded class of veterans who are expected to make an immediate impact — like Milton Williams, Harold Landry and Carlton Davis.
LSU’s Will Campbell was once viewed as the clear-cut top tackle prospect in this class, but there are questions about whether or not he should be in consideration at No. 4. Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter probably won’t be available, so do you potentially overdraft or look to get creative and fill that lone remaining need later on?
We don’t know, but since we covered the former plan, lets cover the latter — and more specifically, the player who fits.
OVERVIEW
Trapilo is an interesting guy because he has so many ties to New England.
Alumni Stadium isn’t too far up the road from Gillette Stadium, but beyond physical location, he has experience playing under those who have (or would go on to) coach within both programs. Bill O’Brien is the obvious connection, having served as his head coach last season after a second stint calling plays under Bill Belichick. Doug Marrone was also there, and has since moved on to join Mike Vrabel’s staff as the offensive line coach in New England.
Trapilo also helped his draft stock by making the jump from guard to tackle and excelling.
Boston College was one of the best rushing teams in the nation over the last two seasons, while their versatile right tackle allowed just two total sacks. Trapilo earned first-team all-conference honors for his performance in 2024, and while his pro prospects look good, teams will have to find out whether he can play the left side.
NFL SCOUTING COMBINE
Trapilo was fine at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, if not unspectacular.
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 316lbs
Hand: 10 3/8″
Arm: 33″
40-Yard Dash: 5.21 seconds
Broad Jump: 8′ 10″
3-Cone Drill: 7.71
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.70 seconds
Bench Press: 22 reps
STRENGTHS
Trapilo is a mammoth, which comes with several of those things that “you just can’t teach” and want out of a potential blindside protector — like a powerful punch, great reach and tremendous grip strength.
You can see how his size essentially forces rushers to change their plan before they even come up with one. It’s like a weird mind game.
Trapilo is naturally patient in his sets, which probably stems from spending so much time at guard and essentially needing to play that way. It’s a small thing, but he never gives away an advantage, and has the mobility to make up for potentially undersetting and needing to react quickly. Ohio State’s Josh Simmons plays similarly, and is really the only prospect we can think of to have that same strength.
WEAKNESSES
Trapilo isn’t only new to the position, but rarely played on the left side.
BC ran the ball an aggressive amount, which almost fed his overaggressiveness in all phases of the game. Trapilo isn’t going to out-leverage anyone, either, so those long and powerful guys who make it to the next level will have an advantage.
DO THE CONNECTIONS REALLY MATTER?
Vrabel care about familiarity more than perhaps any other decision-maker in the NFL.
“I don’t know how you could do free agency any differently,” Vrabel said at an introductory press conference in March. “I really don’t… It’s important to me — and (Patriots owner Robert Kraft trusted executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf) and myself to bring the right people onto this football team. If we have coaches that trust and believe in players, we have to take that into consideration… I think that’s critical.
Why wouldn’t that apply to players in the draft?
Bill Belichick loved guys from Alabama and Iowa, because he knew what to expect from them after playing under Nick Saban and Kirk Ferentz, respectively. It’s something that all coaches do, so pay attention because this is a guy who might actually end up on the roster because of it.
If you’d like more individual profiles, check out the full series and follow @KeaganStiefel on X.