The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, which was a change of pace for the New England Patriots picking 31st overall after back-to-back years in the top-five. The team added nine total players to their roster over the weekend with the most notable coming after early-round trade ups to select offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and edge rusher Gabe Jacas.
The rest of their haul also includes some intriguing talent and valuable depth additions for this year and beyond, which New England will hope allows them to get back to the Super Bowl. Following the draft, the Patriots are tied for the third highest odds to win the AFC on FanDuel Sportsbook.
With their haul, the Patriots received fairly solid grades from the experts. Let’s take a look at those, both from Pats Pulpit and the rest of the country.
All in all, the Patriots draft class features some definitive potential for the future as well as some intriguing depth additions in the later rounds. There were some relative head-scratchers, but when those com on Day 3 it is not too much to worry about either. The final grade of this draft class will largely not be determined by them, though, but rather by the first three picks.
Caleb Lomu, Gabe Jacas and Eli Raridon highlight the Patriots’ 2026 class, and there is reason for optimism. All three could be valuable pieces for the team this year, and by 2027 at the latest hold starter-equivalent roles at their respective positions. The lack of clear instant contributors or readymade depth is a concern that pushes down the final grade a bit — there is no telling who will earn roster spots among the late-round picks, for example — but all in all it was a solid haul for Mike Vrabel, Eliot Wolf and company.
For a more detailed breakdown of Pat’s grades please take a look at this story. Pat’s grade fell in line with the community.
Among voters in our open survey, 60% graded the Patriots draft a B. More participants sided with a C (22%) over an A (12%), however, which coincided with grades from national media members.
The Patriots also went after immediate needs with GM Eliot Wolf, staying on target despite the Mike Vrabel distraction. Lomu will start somewhere to upgrade the line, while Jacas can boost the pass-rush productin. Raridon helps both blocking and receiving. The rest of the class is their kind of depth.
The Patriots did well for themselves picking from such a late slot in the draft, making small moves to land the guys they really wanted. New England jumped up three spots in the first round to land a smooth-moving tackle in Caleb Lomu, an excellent athlete who could be a future starter at both tackle spots. Eliot Wolf maneuvered up in the second round, too, grabbing a powerhouse pass rusher in Gabe Jacas. Jacas was one of my favorite edge players in this class, possessing incredible strength and balance as a rusher and excellent closing speed to finish. He should be an early contributor on the team’s edge group rotation. Tight end Eli Raridon is a smart pick in the third round, giving the Patriots a potential successor for Hunter Henry. Raridon may need a bit of a runway to develop, but he possesses the skill set to become a true in-line Y tight end. Overall, the top of this class looks great—and Lomu and Jacas in particular could play impact roles very early on.
The Patriots addressed the offensive line for a second straight year in the first round, picking Lomu to play across from 2025 top-five pick Will Campbell. Lomu’s pass-protection skills should be solid on the right side, but he must be a more physical blocker against NFL edge rushers. They traded two Day 3 picks to the Chargers to select the powerful Jacas, paying the price to meet a dire need. Amid a Friday night run on tight ends, the Pats took Raridon a bit earlier than I projected, though he could grow into a solid No. 2 with some blocking skills.
Prunty excelled at North Carolina A&T before earning All-ACC honors at Wake Forest, and he showed great speed at his pro day. Crownover is another strong offensive tackle for the depth chart. Morton projects as a solid backup for Drake Maye in the future. Miller could be an excellent value if he’s able to return to his form from 2024, when he ran for 668 yards and seven TDs.
New England moved up a bit in the first round to take tackle Caleb Lomu, with the hope he and Will Campbell will be the bookends on this offensive line for the next few years. Gabe Jacas can do a lot on the edge, from rushing the passer – he had 11 sacks last year at Illinois – to setting the edge and dropping into coverage, but if he is tasked with just getting after the QB this could be a huge pick for the Patriots. Many will talk about drafting a QB in round 7, but I’m always appreciative of a team looking to upgrade their entire QB room, even behind a young franchise QB like Drake Maye.
The Patriots focused on the trenches early and often, and it makes sense. New England wasn’t good up front in 2025 despite its shocking Super Bowl run, and selecting Lomu to be the right tackle should help Drake Maye stay upright. Jacas is also a nice fit, slotting into the front seven after amassing 35.5 tackles for loss and 27 sacks at Illinois. Raridon is a true “Y” tight end (blocker and receiver) who will help in 12- and 13-personnel sets as an inline blocker for the run game. It was a solid draft for the Patriots.
Caleb Lomu was incredible value at the bottom of the first round, potentially being the long-term blindside protector for Drake Maye and allowing the Patriots more flexibility with last year’s top-five pick, Will Campbell. They also found an edge defender with decent enough traits in Gabe Jacas who will at least help the Pats get more physical on the outside. They didn’t really have many premium picks outside of that, but getting Eli Raridon in the third round was nice as a potential Hunter Henry replacement down the line.
One year ago, the Patriots drafted Will Campbell at No. 4. He was supposed to be the answer for Drake Maye’s lack of protection after the 2024 O-line allowed pressure on 37.4% of the young quarterback’s dropbacks. Things started off well, but Campbell went down with a knee injury in Week 12 and wasn’t the same when he returned. His relatively short 32⅝-inch arms proved problematic against playoff competition, and he allowed five sacks across four playoff games.
I thought New England might seek out the K’Lavon Chaisson replacement in Round 1, but the team went back to the offensive line well for a second straight year, taking Caleb Lomu at No. 28 after a slight trade up. Lomu was a top-25 player for me, and he’s very consistent as both a pass protector and run blocker. Patriots fans will likely want to know his arm length — it’s 33⅜ inches, much more in line with standards at the position. But Lomu also brings quick feet, which helps him adjust on the fly and keep speed rushers from reaching the corner. I’d like to see him fill out his 6-foot-6, 313-pound frame a little more, but the upside is there.
The lingering question is where he plays. Could he actually push Campbell inside and play left tackle, his college position? It’s possible. Would he replace Morgan Moses at right tackle? Eventually, yes, but not yet. Would he fall into a swing tackle role or even kick inside to guard? All of those options should be on the table, and Lomu has the versatility to help this unit form anywhere.
Limiting pressure in 2026 is just as key as getting pressure, though. The Patriots were 21st in pressure rate (31.1%) last season, and I’m not sure Dre’Mont Jones is an upgrade in that regard over Chaisson. The Pats had to do something here at the draft. Gabe Jacas was the team’s next pick, and I enjoyed his tape in the predraft process. He had 11 sacks last season, but I actually think that’s selling his pass-rush chops short. At Illinois, Jacas took on a lot of other asks, like sealing the edge and dropping in coverage. If the Patriots let him pin his ears back, he could be a real factor in getting to the QB.
Eli Raridon was another one of my guys this year. He has a big 6-foot-6 frame and can make plays down the field. It was probably a round early on him, but considering the other much-worse reaches on tight ends on Day 2, I’m OK with this move, especially since it helps Maye.
Making the roster of any NFL team is difficult, and it is exponentially harder for one coming off a Super Bowl appearance. That’s why I appreciated the Patriots’ strategy of getting pro-ready contributors with two of their three top-100 selections and gambling on athletic upside in the later rounds.