B
New England Patriots
Grand theft in Round 3, Pick 31: the Patriots steal Sadiq and grade out a B.
by pj_doucette ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 11 steals
· 1 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Kenyon Sadiq at pick 95 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. Good, not great, and the B says as much.
The cost of the Gumbs Jr. reach is exactly the players who went right after him. For all the activity, running back went untouched, which is hard to explain. Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but running back.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 31 they get a green-dot type in the middle, outstanding value to boot. Need was not the driver here.
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, Mansoor Delane in Round 3, Pick 8, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Circle this one: Kenyon Sadiq at the 95th pick is a fall that decides a draft. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Skyler Bell at the Round 4 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A.J. Haulcy in the 125th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jaishawn Barham at pick 131 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
The board fumbled Jude Bowry all the way to slot 171, and they scooped it up. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Febechi Nwaiwu at No. 189 is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Nice patience on Zane Durant, who had no business lasting to No. 191. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Jeff Caldwell in Round 6, Pick 17. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Taylen Green at pick No. 202 is the proof. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, George Gumbs Jr. well ahead of where he belonged. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Eli Heidenreich slid further than he should have, and slot 247 is lovely value for the wide receiver. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.