He wasn't supposed to wait. Not that long, anyway. If you followed the buzz leading up to the Joshua Farmer NFL draft process, you know the script was written for a Day 2 selection. Most scouts had him pegged as a lock for the second or third round. But as the 2025 NFL Draft unfolded, the phone stayed quiet longer than anyone expected.
When the New England Patriots finally traded up to pick 137 in the fourth round, they didn't just find a defensive tackle. They found a guy with a massive chip on his shoulder and the raw, violent power to back it up.
Honestly, the NFL draft is a weird beast. You can have the tape, the size, and the "most improved player" awards, and still, teams overthink it. They see a bit of lower-body stiffness or worry about "instincts," and suddenly, a 310-pound wrecking ball is sliding down the board. Their loss.
The Physical Profile Most Scouts Overlooked
When you look at Joshua Farmer, you see a classic interior disruptor. He's 6'3", hovering around 305 to 312 pounds, and he has arms that seem to go on forever. 35-inch arms, to be exact. That kind of length is a nightmare for interior linemen.
At the NFL Combine, he put up 26 reps on the bench press. That wasn't just for show. It shows up on tape when he initiates contact. He doesn't just block; he jolts. He has this heavy-handed style where he can basically rock a guard backward with a single punch. It's violent. It's effective. It's exactly what you want in a 3-technique or a 4-3 interior guy.
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By the Numbers: Farmer's College Production
- Career Tackles: 80 total
- Tackles for Loss: 21.0
- Sacks: 11.0
- 2024 Season: 32 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks (Team Leader)
He was a consistent force at Florida State. While guys like Jared Verse and Braden Fiske got the early-round headlines in previous years, Farmer was the guy holding the middle together, often while dealing with double teams.
Why He Slipped (And Why It Doesn't Matter)
Every prospect has "red flags," even if they're more like light pink. For Farmer, the knocks were mostly about consistency and lateral mobility. Some scouts felt he played too high at times—negating that natural leverage. If your pad level is too high, you’re basically a giant target for a double team to drive out of the gap.
There were also questions about his "instincts." Sometimes he gets so focused on the man in front of him that he loses track of the ball. Basically, he can get caught up in the trench war and miss a screen or a draw.
But here is the thing: you can coach technique. You can coach eyes. You can't coach 35-inch arms and a bull rush that makes professional-sized guards look like they're on skates.
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The New England Fit: A "Room of Dogs"
The Patriots didn't just stumble into this. They traded up. They saw a guy who fits that old-school, "grit and power" identity they’re trying to rebuild. Farmer joins a defensive line room that already has Christian Barmore and Keion White.
"We got some dogs now," Farmer said after the draft. He isn't wrong.
In New England’s system, he's likely to play as a penetrating 3-technique. He's at his best when he’s told to just "get upfield and ruin the play." He isn't a space-eater who just sits there and takes up two gaps. He’s a gap-shooter. If the Patriots let him play loose, he’s going to produce way more than your average fourth-round pick.
A Journey Fueled by Resilience
You can't talk about Joshua Farmer’s draft journey without talking about where he came from. Growing up in Port St. Joe, Florida, he dealt with the loss of his father at a very young age. His grandmother, Ruby Lee, was the one who kept him on the track, making him run until the discipline was baked into his DNA.
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He was actually the first recruit to commit to Mike Norvell at FSU. He stayed loyal when the transfer portal was calling his name with NIL promises. That kind of character matters in an NFL locker room. It’s the stuff that doesn't show up in a 40-yard dash time (which was 5.11, by the way—respectable for a man that size), but it shows up in the fourth quarter when everyone is gassed.
Real-World Impact: What to Expect in 2026 and Beyond
Now that the rookie season dust has settled, we've seen flashes. Before a late-season injury landed him on IR in December 2025, Farmer was a rotational staple. He finished his rookie campaign with 15 tackles and a clear indication that he belongs.
If you're looking for the "next big thing" on the interior, watch how he uses his hands this coming season. If he can keep his pad level low, he’s going to be a starter for a decade. He has that "Larry Ogunjobi" play style—powerful, twitchy for his size, and capable of double-digit TFL seasons.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the Hand Fight: In his upcoming games, look at his first contact. If he gets his hands inside the guard's chest, the play is over for the offense.
- Role Evolution: Keep an eye on whether the Patriots move him to the 5-technique in certain packages. His length makes him a candidate for versatility.
- Technique over Power: The big leap for Farmer will be developing a secondary pass-rush move. Once he adds a reliable rip or swim to his bull rush, he becomes unblockable.
The Joshua Farmer NFL draft story isn't about where he started on the board; it’s about the fact that 31 teams let a starting-caliber defensive tackle slip into the fourth round. New England didn't make that mistake.