If the Patriots really are going to end up with A.J. Brown, then wide receiver becomes much less of a need in the 2026 NFL Draft. So fair warning, this first mock of the year isn’t going to excite you if you’re insisting on that impact wideout.
But we are going to pick some athletes, and one of them is going to be a new weapon for Drake Maye — he just happens to play tight end.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had an interesting answer when asked about his draft philosophy at the NFL league meeting on Tuesday, and he all but entirely shot down the idea that he would draft for need, while later blurting out “Best player available, hopefully!” when asked about the 31st pick. But realistically, both come into play at some point. The Patriots won’t be drafting a quarterback in the first round, for instance. And at the same time, the best player available could technically be a kicker.
Despite that, this mock draft did focus mainly on needs, without trying to reach too much out of their range. And the idea was to address needs other than receiver more urgently, on both sides of the ball, and at spots in the draft order where certain positions will make sense to attack. In other words, if you crave offensive talent, don’t be thrown off by a few early defensive picks. There are some high-upside day-3 athletes on offense here.
With all that in mind… here’s my first Patriots mock draft of the season.
Round 1, Pick 31:
EDGE Zion Young, Missouri
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Compared by NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein to veteran edge Za’Darius Smith, Young has the kind of size (6-foot-6) and strength you want in a three-down edge rusher. He could make immediate contributions against both the run and the pass, and would be a mismatch against a tight end blocking him on the edge. The Pats have had problems with that going the other way, most recently in the Super Bowl, and it’s about time they get some of that element for themselves.
One of the concerns with Young is how he’ll respond to NFL-level competition in the way they specifically prepare for his tendencies, and whether he can counter that. He’s also not going to chase down a lot of mobile quarterbacks on broken plays with his level of speed. But he should be able to make up for that by generating quick pressures and avoiding that long pursuit altogether.
Round 2, Pick 63:
TE Max Klare, Ohio State
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Vrabel taps into his alma mater for a shiny new toy to get for Maye. Klare has good size for a modern-day receiving tight end at 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, and is known for his ability to separate and run a variety of routes in the passing game. He could line up in the slot and make plays down the seam, a staple of the Josh McDaniels offense and an explosive safety net for Maye.
Klare’s blocking may never reach the level of his NFL-ready receiving ability, but the Pats invested in a blocker at the position with the free-agent signing of Julian Hill, which takes some of the pressure off getting a combo tight end high in this draft. Klare is a worthy consolation prize for the lack of a high-end receiver pick and a fine complement for what we’re projecting them to have at that position.
Round 3, Pick 95:
S Genesis Smith, Arizona
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Elite name. But on the football field, Smith would also offer some of the best ball-hawking abilities of any safety in this draft class, and if the Patriots are committed to playing as much zone coverage as they did in 2025, he’s a great fit. However, tackling is a major concern for Smith, and the hope would be that Vrabel and his staff can coach him up in that department.
But with Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson atop the depth chart, they’d also be able to mask those deficiencies and deploy Smith in obvious passing situations where he can read the quarterback and pounce on ill-advised throws. And if he can develop as a tackler, he could emerge as a high-end, every-down option with his other NFL-ready size (6-foot-2, 202 pounds) and physical tools.
TRADE!
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Patriots get:
-Round 4, Pick 107
Browns get:
-Round 4, Pick 131
-Round 6, Pick 191
Round 4, Pick 107 (from CLE):
LB Deontae Lawson, Alabama
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Vrabel moves up to snag an SEC linebacker that he’s identified as a potential cornerstone. One of just 16 players in Alabama history to be named a team captain two or more times, Lawson has real leadership potential at the NFL level, and has the athletic ability to back it up. He can defend sideline-to-sideline, snuff out runners at the second level, blitz from the interior, and cover zone effectively. He’s also relatively undersized at 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds, and there are concerns about his pre-snap recognition, which may limit his overall upside. But he fits what the Patriots need at the position and would have a good chance to develop into a locker room leader.
Round 4, Pick 125 (from CHI):
OT Jude Bowry, Boston College
Just get ready for the Will Campbell takes if the Patriots draft this kid. He played left tackle at BC and has long-enough arms (33 3/4 inches). There are questions about Bowry’s technique and consistency, which is why he’s a likely day-3 pick, late-day 2 at best. But if the Patriots want to target an athletic swing tackle with long-term starting potential, Bowry is a good choice. If they don’t draft a tackle at 31, they may have to wait until this spot, and they’ll have their options.
Round 5, Pick 171:
WR Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
Finally, mercifully, a wide receiver. Caldwell is a good prospect to develop behind a group that we’re projecting to include A.J. Brown, Kayshon Boutte, and Kyle Williams on the perimeter. He’s 6-foot-5 and explosive, but raw as a prospect. He’ll need behind-the-scenes development to reach his full potential, and in Foxboro, the hope is that they’ll have enough talent that they’ll barely need him in 2026. But there’s big upside here.
Round 6, Pick 198 (from MIN):
DT Zane Durant, Penn State
Here’s where the Pats take the best player available at a position low on their list of needs. Durant’s ceiling is as a Milton Williams-type interior pass rusher with size limitations (6-foot-1, 290 pounds) but high-end quickness. He also has frankly comically short arms (31 7/8 inches). But we’re talking about the end of the draft, here, and Durant will be one of the more athletic, high-ceiling prospects taken in this range. The Patriots could afford to gamble on him and develop him for a year before even considering putting him on the field.
Round 6, Pick 202 (from PIT):
TE John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
Gyllenborg has the requisite size (6-foot-6) and explosiveness to get a chance to stick in the NFL, but he may not finish enough plays as a pass-catcher to realize that potential, and he has work to do as a blocker as well. But as a boom-or-bust, high-ceiling day 3 prospect, the Patriots could also afford to take a flyer on Gyllenborg, with their tight end depth chart filled out by this point.
Round 6, Pick 212:
RB Terion Stewart, Virginia Tech
At 5-foot-9 and 222 pounds with good contact balance, Stewart has the ideal build and traits for a between-the-tackles power back in the Patriots’ scheme. If Rhamondre Stevenson misses time, he would make for a fine fill-in–on the ground. He’s not expected to be much of a factor in the passing game, but he would fit what McDaniels wants to do when he pounds the rock and could at least provide depth at a position group that quickly thins out.
Round 7, Pick 247:
OT Nolan Rucci, Penn State
To be honest, Alex Barth and I both have trouble going through an entire mock draft without the Patriots drafting a massive tackle. So I got them taking the 6-foot-8 Rucci with their final pick here. And his name may be familiar to Patriots fans: he’s the son of Todd Rucci, who started 75 games at right guard for the Patriots over eight seasons in the 1990s. But despite his outstanding size and length (34 inches), Rucci faces questions about his footwork and athleticism at the NFL level, making him a late-round lottery ticket at best. But the Pats can’t have enough tackle prospects at this point. It’s worth a try with the son of a former Patriot in the seventh round.
Picking the next Pats