B-
New England Patriots
More right than wrong for the Patriots, and a B- to prove it.
by robbiemaynard448 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
The Patriots put a flag in the ground for Max Llewellyn, 60 picks before anyone else would have, and the value took the hit. The bottom line is a respectable B-.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through safety. The Caldwell pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
The Tre Tucker deal gives the class an established piece to lean on.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 31st pick they get a building block for the line, even if it was a touch early. A real need, handled.
They took Zachariah Branch at par in pick 63, which is nothing to complain about. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Max Llewellyn in Round 3, Pick 31, miles early. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Kaleb Proctor in the 125th overall pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A quiet steal in the Round 4 slot: Michael Trigg for less than the market said. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Nate Boerkircher in pick No. 171. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jeff Caldwell at the Round 6 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Latrell McCutchin Sr. at the 247th overall pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.