Perry: Four Senior Bowl standouts who could interest Patriots in draft - chof 360 news

Perry: Four Senior Bowl standouts who could interest Patriots in draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots’ scouting for the 2025 NFL Draft began in earnest this week in Mobile, Ala., where some of the nation’s top college prospects are gathered for the Senior Bowl.

The Patriots sent a strong contingent to Mobile that includes head coach Mike Vrabel, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden, VP of football operations and player strategy John Streicher and director of college scouting Camren Williams.

And while the team has plenty of needs to address, at the top of that list are two positions: offensive line and wide receiver.

So, it’s worth keeping tabs on linemen and wideouts who turn heads during practices against fellow elite prospects this week. On the latest episode of the Next Pats Podcast, our Patriots insider Phil Perry shared what he’s hearing about players who have stood out during Senior Bowl practices, particularly at those two positions of need.

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Here are four names Perry highlighted — three offensive linemen and a wide receiver — who might make sense for the Patriots in the later rounds.

Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

“This guy played at four different positions at North Dakota State, so maybe he’s a Joe Thuney type,” Perry said of Zabel. “(Thuney had a) similar kind of background at NC State when he was coming out of college, but was viewed strictly as an interior lineman, maybe even a long-term center — that’s how some people saw (Thuney) when the Patriots drafted him in the third round in 2016. Now he’s playing left tackle for the potential Super Bowl champions.

“… Grey Zabel, whether it’s tackle, guard, center — he might have had the best performance of any player at any position during Tuesday’s practice. Something worth noting as a potential Day 2 prospect.”

Aireontae Ersery, OL, Minnesota

“Massive human,” Perry said of Ersery. “Listed at 6-foot-6, pounds — actually checked in at the Senior Bowl closer to 6-foot-5, 339 (pounds). He’s a big cat. This is somebody who performed well in the first day practices at tackle for Minnesota.

“So, if it’s Josh McDaniels’ scheme and you’re getting downhill and you’re running a lot of gap stuff and you want maybe a right tackle who can just lean on people and get right next to big ol’ Mike Onwenu and push people straight down the field in duo concepts and power and counters — all that stuff that we’re so accustomed to seeing from Josh McDaniels’ run game, maybe that’s the guy for the Patriots.”

Anthony Belton, OL, NC State

“Another maybe guard/tackle type of tweener, but somebody who had a very good day on Tuesday apparently,” Perry said of Belton. “Those would be the three guys that I would really highlight from a Patriots standpoint along the offensive line.”

Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon

“From what I can track, (Johnson) feels like the best receiver in Mobile,” Perry said. “Is he the most physically impressive? No sir; 5-foot-9, 156 (pounds). That’s a slight human. But he separates, has real speed, looks like he knows what he’s doing in terms of creating separation at the top of the route and running crisp routes. So, maybe he’s somebody who helps his draft stock.

“Is it somebody the Patriots should necessarily be interested in? Sure. They should be interested in any receiver who looks like he can play. I just think they’re probably a little bit more in need of that bigger-bodied player on the outside who can still threaten a defense vertically but just gives you that physical presence along the sideline that often times you need to help dictate coverage and help open things up.”