It’s officially my favorite time of year: draft season.
The 2025 Hula Bowl kicks off this Saturday, marking the start of several bowl games this month, including the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
All of these bowl games lead up to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, which will take place from Thursday, February 27, to Sunday, March 2.
While the Patriots will meet with hundreds of draft prospects over the next three months, it’s important to take note of the players they are most interested in.
According to sources, the Patriots have already met with three players in Orlando at the Hula Bowl: RB Dylan Poirier, RB ShunDerrick Powell, and LB Matt Jones. I’m told they’ve also conducted interviews with a “handful” of other players.
Multiple sources tell The Patriots Beat that National scout Tucker Ingraham is playing a significant role in interviewing prospects this week and has been the lead interviewer in several meetings. Ingraham was an offensive assistant at Wesleyan and an intern for the Patriots’ scouting department before being hired as an area scout in 2019. He was promoted to national scout in 2021.
Poirier, a former 2018 Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year, committed to the University of New Hampshire before the 2019 season. He appeared in three of five games in 2021 but made significant strides during his sophomore campaign, playing in 13 games.
Central Arkansas running back ShunDerrick Powell also met with the Patriots. Powell spent two seasons at the University of Northern Alabama before transferring to Central Arkansas, where he became their leading rusher this past season. He led the entire FCS in yards after contact (5.20) and is a hard runner with experience in various offensive schemes. Powell adds value in the passing game as well, hauling in 36 receptions for 318 yards last season. He’s generating a lot of buzz in Orlando and is considered an underrated prospect by several scouts.
Matt Jones, before committing to Baylor, was the 62nd-ranked player in Texas and a three-star recruit. He had offers from Illinois and Texas Tech but chose Baylor, where he played six seasons, recording 317 total tackles and 12 sacks.
Meanwhile, sources tell me that Luke Floriea is also drawing interest and has already met with the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and New Orleans Saints. Floriea started all 12 games at receiver for Kent State last season, tallying 44 catches for 699 yards and four touchdowns. Over five seasons at Kent State, he hauled in 100 receptions for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The 2025 Hula Bowl kicks off at noon on Saturday, January 11, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
