Ben Volin

1 day ago | bostonglobe.com | Chad Finn |Christopher L. Gasper |Christopher Price |Dan Shaughnessy |Tara Sullivan |Ben Volin | +1 more

We asked the Globe’s football cognoscenti to weigh in on what the Patriots should do and predict what they will do when they are on the clock with the No. 4 pick in Thursday night’s NFL Draft. What the Patriots should do: Pounce if the Giants do something stupid. It appears as though the Giants will do the obvious and take Penn State edge-rushing maniac Abdul Carter at No. 3, presuming Cam Ward and Travis Hunter go 1-2.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Ben Volin

Just to get this out of the way, here is what I wrote before the 2023 NFL Draft about the possibility of the Patriots taking running back Bijan Robinson in the first round:“No. Just … no. It doesn’t matter that Robinson is a generational talent. Or that pairing him with Rhamondre Stevenson would give the Patriots the best backfield in the NFL. The Patriots aren’t a running back away from being a Super Bowl competitor. They have too many other needs at important positions.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Ben Volin

A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. It’s possible that Watt, a five-time All-Pro and 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, is just playing the leverage game and doesn’t really want to leave Pittsburgh. It doesn’t seem that the Steelers want to move on from Watt, who turns 31 in October, but they might have to listen to trade offers during the draft. ▪ Watt isn’t the only AFC North pass rusher who is unhappy.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Ben Volin

The 2025 NFL Draft class is not a bad one, but it’s not the ideal year to hold a top pick. Without slam-dunk, must-have prospects in the player pool, the Patriots have a big decision to make before the first round begins on April 24. Here’s Ben Volin’s first mock draft of the year. Read his takeaways about the draft class here.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Ben Volin

The 2025 NFL Draft will not have the same star power as last year’s event. Quarterbacks will not be taken with the top three picks, or with six of the top 12. There aren’t many household names or must-have prospects. But that doesn’t make it a bad draft, just maybe not ideal to be at the top. “OK, some positions don’t have that superstar that we have had in years past,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said. “But we do have a boatload of starters, particularly the defensive line.