The 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books. How did the New England Patriots use their nine selections? We’ll break down their entire draft class on this week’s episode of the Patriots Roundtable Podcast.
After months of conflicting reports and rumors, we finally have concrete results.
The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the New England Patriots exit with a draft class marked by aggressive maneuvers around the draft board to bolster depth and add long-term sustainability across several key positions of need.
New England entered draft night with their sights set on ensuring long-term sustainability to a young roster foundation that led them to a Super Bowl LX appearance just two months ago. From offensive tackle to edge rusher, tight end and linebacker, many speculated what areas the Patriots would need to target early, and where they would be able to wait and bolster depth later on.
With their first selection slotted at No. 31 overall, it didn’t take New England long to slide up the board. The Patriots moved up to No. 28 and selected Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round, filling a long-term need with the final consensus first round tackle available.
Their aggressiveness continued into the second round, as New England traded up from No. 63 to No. 55 to acquire Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas, who adds an additional spark to the pass rush and perfectly fits the violent identity the Patriots are building on defense.
It took until the third round for New England to use an originally-owned pick, and selected Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon at No. 95 with it. Raridon brings the size, athleticism, and willingness to block to project as an eventual three-down contributor in the Patriots’ offense.
After sacrificing both of their fourth round picks to trade up in the first and second rounds, New England wasn’t on the clock again until the fifth round on Day 3 of the draft. The approach seemed shifted in the latter stages of the draft, with focus shifted from key positions of need to bolstering depth at thinning position groups on the roster.
The Patriots doubled-up at offensive tackle and edge rusher while sprinkling in other selections at corner, linebacker, quarterback, and running back. Their manipulation of the draft board continued, as they regained some of the lost capital with additional selections in the sixth and seventh round and future compensation in 2027.
From their first pick onward, the Patriots prioritized long-term sustainability across the roster, continued moving around the board, and ended with nine selections:
- 1st Round, No. 28 Overall (Trade with Buffalo Bills): Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
- 2nd Round, No. 55 (Trade with Los Angeles Chargers): Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
- 3rd Round, No. 95 Overall: Eli Raridon, TE, Notre Dame
- 5th Round, No. 171: Karon Prunty, CB, Wake Forest
- 6th Round, No. 196 (Trade with Jacksonville Jaguars): Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M
- 6th Round, No. 212: Namdi Obiazor, LB, TCU
- 7th Round, No. 234 (Trade with Minnesota Vikings): Behren Morton, QB, Texas Tech
- 7th Round, No. 245 (Trade with Jacksonville Jaguars): Jam Miller, RB, Alabama
- 7th Round, No. 247: Quintayvious Hutchins, EDGE, Boston College
In this week’s episode of the Patriots Roundtable Podcast, Eddie and Tyler review the draft class in its entirety.
Where did New England make the biggest splash? Where did they find the best value? What are their greatest remaining areas of need?
Join the discussion in the community boards below, or on our Patriots Roundtable Podcast YouTube page — and stay tuned for lots more on New England’s NFL Draft strategy in the days to come on Patriots Roundtable.
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