The New England Patriots are set to enter the 2026 NFL Draft with 11 picks. Former Patriots star Devin McCourty has an idea for what the team should do at the inaugural three-day event.
The Patriots are coming off a Super Bowl appearance last season, so this undoubtedly accelerates the rebuild. They are in a position to build with depth, rather than being pigeonholed into making an impact pick. McCourty has a checklist of “must-haves” for the Patriots, as noted by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
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“A dynamic pass rusher, somebody that dictates defense. It’s very hard if it’s just Milton [Williams] and [Christian] Barmore in the middle, and that’s all you have to worry about,” said Mccourty, via Reiss.
“I think about guys we played — the J.J. Watts, Aaron Donalds — it was always, ‘We’re just going to slide [pass protection] that way each time and leave the tackles one-on-one.’ That showed up for me watching the Super Bowl. It was like, ‘Man, they have nothing.'”
Along with adding a pass-rusher, McCourty also included offensive line depth and further developing of players already on the roster, like running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Kyle Williams.
Adding another offensive tackle on the right side makes sense considering Morgan Moses is 35 years old. The Patriots might also look for more depth along the interior part of the offensive line later in the draft. And yes, there is hope that both Williams and Henderson contribute even more in the 2026 season.
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But what position will the Patriots prioritize with the No. 31 overall pick in the first round on Thursday?
That has been the biggest question throughout the offseason. There are a multitude of different directions that the Patriots could go in the draft, but at the very least, everything should be on the table depending on how the board falls.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots legend reveals team’s ‘must haves’ ahead of 2026 NFL Draft