5 Takeaways from the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine | New England Patriots Draft Preview

The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the books.

In a draft class that was once degraded for not having a typical helping of top-tier talent, prospects showed up and showed out in Indianapolis — posting several high marks for athleticism across the board.

For the New England Patriots, their 2026 draft class will not be measured by the success or failure of another top-five pick. Rather, they’ll be looking to fill the middle class of their roster with depth additions at several key position groups.

Luckily, that seems to be the strength of this player pool.

So, what might that mean for New England’s strategy navigating the draft board on April 23-25?

Let’s dive into five takeaways from the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, and how the Patriots may look to build in this year’s draft:

New England’s scouting profile has shifted since Eliot Wolf began to implement the system that his father, Ron Wolf, made a staple in the scouting community in Green Bay with the Packers.

Where the Bill Belichick system was divided into several categories that focused heavily on the minutia of performance in each area of a position group’s play, Wolf’s system has seemed to steer heavily in a different direction: athleticism.

The Patriots have put a premium on speed and agility in recent drafts, as evidenced by their selections of TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams at offensive skill positions, and Will Campbell and Jared Wilson along the offensive line last year.

In 2026, outliers for speed and agility were the norm at the Scouting Combine.

Of all position groups that tested, only the quarterbacks (second best) didn’t post a record for group speed this year at the Combine (since 2003). Defensive linemen (4.83-second average), linebackers (4.55-second average), defensive backs (4.44-second average), tight ends (4.63-second average), running backs (4.45-second average), wide receivers (4.44-second average), and offensive linemen (5.10-second average) all set high marks for their positions.

Speed was plentiful, and each of the Day 1 and Day 2 position groups — defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs, and tight ends — could be targets for New England come April. It appears they’ll have depth to choose from without athletic traits dropping off as the rounds roll on.

For a Patriots roster with large contract extensions looming and a free agent class that trends older returning for 2026, an injection of speed and youth with cap control for multiple years will be an efficient way to fill in the gaps on the roster and develop talent behind veteran starters.

Defensive prospects shined on the first two days of the draft, and that’s good news for the Patriots — who could afford to add talent via the draft at all three levels of their defense.

Edge rusher is shaping up to have the most congested talent toward the top of the draft, with nine prospects now ranked inside of PFF’s top 50 and 17 in the top 100.

That position could be targeted as early as pick 31, with T.J. Parker (Clemson), Zion Young (Missouri), and R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma) all projected to go within that range.

Of the group, Young did not run a 40, while Parker (4.68-second 40-yard dash, 1.61-second 10-yard split) and Thomas (4.67-second 40-yard dash, 1.63-second 10-yard split) showed off their speed.

Young projects as an elite run defender who majors in a power rush to win on passing downs. Parker showed flashes of elite pass-rushing ability, but lacked the production to warrant a top-15 selection (as his preseason rankings would suggest). Thomas (6’2”, 241 lbs) lacks size, but plays with an unrelenting motor and wins with quickness and explosiveness.

If New England chooses to wait and add to the edge on Day 2, Malachi Lawrence (UCF) impressed with a 4.52-second 40-yard dash (1.59-second 10-yard split) and a group-best 86 athletic score at 6’4”, 253 lbs. Romello Height (Texas Tech) has also been a name connected with the team on Day 2; he measured in at 6’3”, 239 lbs and clocked a 4.64-second 40-yard dash (1.63-second 10-yard split).

While edge was expected to have several solid performances, the defensive backs did the most to prove depth in the latter stages of the draft — especially at safety. With the Patriots having eight Day 3 picks and a need at the position regardless of the future of unrestricted free agent Jaylinn Hawkins, that was a welcome sight.

At the 2026 Scouting Combine, 10 safeties ran a sub-4.50-second 40-yard dash — including several Day 3 prospects. With Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman (4.35-second 40-yard dash, 41” vertical jump, 10’5” broad jump, group-best 86 overall athletic score) likely boosting his stock enough to be off the board at 31, that’s likely where New England will look to target the position.

Day 3 prospects that jumped off the screen included Ohio State’s Lorenzo Styles (group-best 4.27 40-yard dash, 39” vertical jump) and Kansas State’s V.J. Payne (4.40-second 40-yard dash, 35” vertical jump, 10’7” broad jump). Payne’s size — 6’3”, 206 lbs, as opposed to Styles at 6’1”, 194 lbs — makes him an especially intriguing potential piece in the secondary.

At off-ball linebacker, Ohio State’s Sonny Styles stole the show with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 43.5” vertical jump, and 11’4” broad jump at 6’5”, 244 lbs — but will be long gone by the time the Patriots target the position.

Depth additions in the linebacker room can be found on Day 2 and early Day 3, with Kyle Louis (Pittsburgh) and Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech) both helping their stock rise in Indianapolis. Louis — though undersized at 6’0”, 220 lbs — ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash and jumped well, with a 39.5” vertical jump and 10’9” broad jump. Rodriguez (6’1”, 231 lbs) ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash and checked the boxes with a 38.5” vertical jump and 10’1” broad jump.

Both recorded an 86 overall athletic score, and looked like fluid athletes in their on-field drills.

For Day 3 prospects, Kaleb Elarms-Orr did the most to help his stock. At 6’2”, 234 lbs, the TCU product ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash by linebackers (4.47 seconds), and recorded a 40” vertical jump and 10’4” broad jump.

As the Patriots look to shore things up on the line that protects Drake Maye, they’ll have options toward the top of the draft — but that’s where the only reliable pieces may be found.

The offensive linemen tested at the Combine on Sunday, and the group showed great size and athleticism. With eight players running sub-5.0-second 40-yard dashes, the profile of athletic linemen that was implemented by New England in 2025 with their selections of Will Campbell and Jared Wilson may continue with any selection this year.

Like most years, there does seem to be a drop-off in talent after the likely rush for linemen at the end of the first round through the middle of the second round. If the Patriots are going to target their right tackle of the future, it’ll likely happen with their first pick in the draft.

Of the players at this year’s Scouting Combine, a few options could fit.

Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor (6’6”, 321 lbs) starred, impressing with a 90 overall athleticism score that ranked first in the class and was highlighted by a 4.91-second 40-yard dash (1.73-second 10-yard split), 30.5” vertical jump, and 9’7” broad jump. A former basketball and soccer player, his movement skills in the on-field drills were evident, and his base and framing were consistently solid throughout.

Utah’s Caleb Lomu (6’6”, 313 lbs) is projected to be the highest tackle taken in the group referenced here, and showed why this weekend. He clocked an overall athletic score of 89 with a 4.99-second 40-yard dash (1.74-second 10-yard split), a vertical jump of 32.5”, and a broad jump of 9’5”. He looked like the most polished product in the on-field drills, as evidenced by his zero sacks allowed on 529 pass-blocking snaps in 2025.

Georgia’s Monroe Freeling (6’7”, 315 lbs) may also be a fit at 31. He started just 18 games in college, but once again — his athleticism popped off the screen. He matched Iheanachor with a 90 overall athleticism score and ran a 4.93-second 40-yard dash (1.71-second 10-yard split), 33.5” vertical jump, and 9’7” broad jump. He struggled to find his footing on some of the reaction-based on-field drills, but he moved well in open space — as he does on film.

Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor was notable. At 6’7”, 352 lbs, he brings great size and toughness to the tackle position, and still has traits to back it up. His times were slower (5.21-second 40-yard dash, 1.84-second 10-yard split), but he jumped well (32.5” vertical jump) and looked ferocious in the on-field competition. His performance may have slid him up the board enough to not be there at 31 for New England, but the prospect is exciting for the offensive line group in Foxboro.

Clemson’s Blake Miller has been consistently linked to the Patriots. He’s also got great size (6’7”, 317 lbs) and athleticism (5.04-second 40-yard dash, 1.75-second 10-yard split, 32” vertical jump, 9’5” broad jump), and profiles as a player who plays with a similar edge to Campbell. He excelled in the on-field drills on Sunday.

After the first wave of tackles are taken off the board, the drop-off in movement skills was clear from the group on Sunday. The tackle class maintains size, with players like Miami’s Markel Bell (6’9”, 345 lbs), but the stiffness of motion is concerning for a team looking for a long-term starter, or two, along the offensive line.

If the Patriots are going to take a swing on a future right tackle, it’ll likely have to happen with their first-round pick… because the top group won’t last until they’re on the board again at 63. If they do decide to pick up an offensive lineman early, it’ll be a player with great athletic traits that will be able to sit behind a veteran starter in Morgan Moses for at least one year to round out their skill set.

New England has an obvious need to fill the tight end room behind veteran Hunter Henry this offseason, and the draft will be a great place to target depth. The questions this year will pertain to the type of player(s) they’re looking to target in April.

The 2026 class had a five-year high of 27 tight ends invited to the Combine, with only six ranked within the top 100. Unless an absolute freak in Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq (tight end combine-record 4.39 40-yard dash, 43.5” vertical jump, 11’1” broad jump) somehow falls into the Patriots’ lap at 31, they’ll likely wait on drafting the position group until later on.

There’s a chance they could have fallen in love with Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers (4.51-second 40-yard dash, 45.5” vertical jump, 11’3” broad jump) to take with their first pick, but that feels unlikely — and he’ll almost certainly be off the board by the time they pick again after that.

With pass-catching tight ends dominating the early rankings of this player pool, it may be more reasonable for New England to identify a veteran at the position to fill that role in free agency, and then attack value on a blocking tight end later in the draft.

Day 3 prospects that impressed at the Scouting Combine were Wyoming’s John Michael Gyllenborg (6’6”, 249 lbs, 4.60-second 40-yard dash, 35.5” vertical jump, 10’8” broad jump), Stanford’s Sam Roush (6’6”, 257 lbs, 4.70-second 40-yard dash, 38.5” vertical jump, 10’6” broad jump), and Ohio State’s Will Kacmarek (6’5”, 261 lbs, 4.74-second 40-yard dash, 36” vertical jump, 9’11” broad jump).

Each has great size, and would be drafted to fill more of a blocking specialist on run downs, but Gyllenborg and Roush also impressed with their fluidity as pass catchers in the on-field drills.

New England also met with Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher in Indianapolis — a Day 3 projection that’s widely regarded as one of the nation’s best in-line blockers and showed off his contested-catch ability at the Senior Bowl. He didn’t perform in agility testing at the Combine, but has the size (6’5”, 245 lbs) and strength profile to fit with the Patriots.

With the NFL swaying toward a much heavier usage of two- and three-tight-end sets, we could see New England add in the room in both free agency and the draft, and those late value steals could come into play when the Patriots are on the clock in the latter stages of April’s draft.

Not only does the NFL Scouting Combine give teams a baseline for players they’ve been scouting ahead of top-30 visits; it’s also the NFL’s largest convention of the year.

With team executives and coaches all in the same place at the same time just before the beginning of free agency, the Combine provides an opportunity for teams to begin discussions surrounding player movement — and for media to clench their teeth into any hot-button rumors.

This year, much of that speculation circled around Maxx Crosby and A.J. Brown — both potential trade targets for New England this offseason.

After the Crosby rumors heated up pre-Combine, some water was thrown on the fire when Las Vegas Raiders’ brass insisted that the team’s plan is to retain the edge rusher through 2026 and beyond.

The tone the Philadelphia Eagles took on Brown was much different.

After Eagles GM Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni “couldn’t guarantee” that Brown would be in Philadelphia for the 2026 season, trade murmurs began to be voiced louder and louder — with the Patriots at the heart of the discussion.

As time goes on, it seems like a more realistic proposition that New England could look to take a swing on the prolific X receiver this offseason, and look to retain Stefon Diggs in the process. That would require a re-structure for at least Diggs — if not both receivers — but would elevate New England’s passing attack to one of the league’s elite.

The biggest question mark surrounding a deal of that magnitude would be about compensation, but those in Indianapolis have proposed packages similar to D.K. Metcalf’s trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers last year (a second-round pick) or Diggs’ trade to the Houston Texans two years ago (a second- and fifth-round pick).

The Patriots currently have four sixth-round picks, and could certainly afford to throw in one of those with their second-round selection to make a deal work. Roseman may be the biggest obstacle to overcome in that deal, as he’s developed a reputation for “winning” trades and will likely push for greater compensation in return for the star wideout.

If reports are accurate and New England could swing a deal for Brown with their second-round pick plus a late-round selection, that deal should be done in a heartbeat.

Add the talent now, figure out the financing later.

With the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in the books, we’ll be full steam ahead on trades and free agency coming up within the next two weeks.

After we get a better picture of how the Patriots will attack positions of need through those avenues, we’ll be able to better assess what their board will actually look like come the draft.

That’ll mean more specific individual player breakdowns for draft prospects, analyzing top-30 visits and best fits, and of course — mock drafts.

Stay tuned for all of that and much more to come right here on Patriots Roundtable.

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