Now that the 2025 NFL draft is wrapped up, the New England Patriots are diving right into rookie mini-camp. And let’s just say, the vibes are a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the rookies, including first-round pick Will Campbell, are making their mark and trying to impress. But on the other hand, the defense hit a bit of a snag—yeah, you heard that right. Something’s missing.

On Friday, the Patriots’ defensive coordinator, Terrell Williams, wasn’t present at the rookie mini-camp as he was reportedly “working through a medical condition,” confirmed by the head coach, Mike Vrabel. “I have been in constant communication with him daily,” Vrabel said. “Terrell is eager to get back. We’re excited to get him back. He’s still been in contact with the players through Zoom, and with myself and the rest of the coaching staff.”

Though the head coach hasn’t shared the timeline of Williams’ possible return, if the reports are accurate, he’s scheduled to address the reporters via video call. As for his medical condition, the New England team and Vrabel haven’t specified how long the defensive coordinator was absent from the team. However, if we believe one of the team’s sources, then Williams has been absent for over a month now.

The 50-year-old is entering the 2025 season for the first time as a defensive coordinator. Williams joined the NFL back in 2012 as a defensive line coach with the Raiders before moving to the Dolphins, the Titans, and the Lions. The Patriots hired Williams away from the Lions, where he worked as a defensive line coach in the last season.

The man worked under Vrabel when he was serving as the head coach of the Titans from 2018 to 2023. Now that the DC is currently absent from the team’s roster, Vrabel clarified that the linebackers’ coach, Zak Kuhr, has been handling Williams’ responsibilities. Similarly, Kuhr also served under Vrabel’s staff during his time as the head coach of the Titans.

While all of this happening, the team did some paperwork too—signing most of their rookies right before kicking their rookie mini-camp off.

Mike Vrabel’s first-round pick has yet to sign a contract

Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Patriots, yeah… they had needs. Like, real ones. The O-line was basically a revolving door; poor Drake Maye probably still hears footsteps. The QB got sacked for a record 34 times over 13 games. Brutal. No real WR1, no pass rush, and the secondary? Meh. It was like watching someone try to fix a leaky boat with duct tape. Everyone knew changes would happen.

So the Patriots got to work. First move? Snagged Will Campbell to stop Maye from getting pancaked every Sunday. Then they grabbed a receiver, Kyle Williams, from Washington—the guy who can complement Steffon Diggs if Polk and Baker repeat their rookie seasons’ performance. Plus, they also added some pass rush juice with Swinson and depth in the secondary with Woodson.

And with a few UDFAs, Mike Vrabel and Co. are gearing up to start a new era in New England. And with that being said, right before the Patriots started their rookie mini-camp at Gillette Stadium, the New England team announced the signing of eight of their 11 draft picks and 16 UDFA. Along with Kyle Williams, the team signed center Jared Wilson, defensive tackle Joshua Farmer, linebacker Bradyn Swinson, kicker Andy Borregales, offensive tackle Marcus Bryant, long snapper Julian Ashby, and defensive back Kobee Minor.

That means, Campbell, RB TreVeyon Henderson, and safety Craig Woodson are the only ones remaining to ink their rookie deals with the Patriots. While the details of the signings are not confirmed yet, the team is likely to release the details within days. The Patriots started their rookie mini-camp on Friday, May 9th. And it will run through Sunday, May 11th, as the rookies are heading to participate.