The Patriots did a great job of filling the majority of their needs this offseason, giving them flexibility and freedom to get creative during the 2025 NFL Draft. Maye needs them to draft a blindside protector, but outside of that, any weaponry that is acquired later this month is more of a bonus than anything.

New England will almost certainly take advantage of that, and now that Josh McDaniels is back calling plays, the focus could involve adding more talent in the tight end room. Harold Fannin Jr. is a personal favorite of ours, but we should also talk about a former favorite of Maye’s.

Bryson Nesbit could be a favorite of certain people at One Patriot Place.

OVERVIEW

Nesbit wasn’t as prolific as a guy like Fannin, isn’t as versatile as Tyler Warren and doesn’t project as well as Colston Loveland.

We have him on our list of profiles because he thrived playing with Maye.

Nesbit spent four seasons at North Carolina, really showing out during the middle two (26 games, 76 catches, 1,092 yards and nine touchdowns) with a future first-round quarterback slinging him the ball. The Tar Heels didn’t exactly get the same kind of production out of him when he wasn’t working with a star signal-caller, as his numbers declined across the board in his senior year. Do we think that’s because of the dip in talent? Yes, but there’s something to be said about familiarity between a quarterback and target.

We just want to learn more about this guy, and so should you.

NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

Nesbit, admittedly, had the most generic combine performance maybe of all time.

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 238lbs
Hand: 9 3/4″
Arm: 31 3/4″

40-Yard Dash: 4.88 seconds
Vertical Jump: 32.5″
Broad Jump: 9′ 4″

STRENGTHS

Nesbit is a good route runner, who showed reliable hands and a penchant for making remarkable catches in the red zone and has the size to continue being a go-to target in that area at the next level.

UNC got him the ball in space, too, allowing him to showcase his above-average abilities after the catch.

Tyler Higbee was our comparison for that reason, and we think there’s a chance for him to grow into a similarly important role in a passing offense if he’s able to develop trust with a quarterback.

WEAKNESSES

You aren’t going to confuse this guy with Rob Gronkowski.

Nesbit isn’t much of an inline option, struggling to put together many winning reps as a blocker. We don’t think he has the play strength to do it even if the desire was there, either, so any team taking him will have to live with mediocrity in that area.

WHY DRAFT A TIGHT END?

The Patriots are actually in decent shape at tight end.

Hunter Henry has been great throughout his tenure with the franchise, serving as a reliable target for young quarterbacks like Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Maye. Austin Hooper was good in his limited role last season, and bringing him back solidified the position for at least one more season.

Nesbit would be a worthwhile investment, though. New England needs to prepare for the future eventually, and bringing in a high-upside option who already has familiarity with your franchise quarterback is good business. We don’t think it’ll take much to get him in the building, either, so keep your eye on this name as things progress into the final day of the draft.