B
New England Patriots
The Patriots won the night they stopped Pregnon from sliding. Grade: B.
by pj_doucette ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 7 steals
· 2 reaches
Thirty-one other rooms let Emmanuel Pregnon slide, and the Patriots were the ones holding the card at Round 3, Pick 10. Highway robbery. A dependable weekend that grades out a B.
Reaching for Jatta left real value on the table behind him. The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
A modest surplus at the table, banked quietly.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing KC Concepcion in slot 40. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A market-rate edge rusher, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Derrick Moore. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Emmanuel Pregnon at pick No. 74 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Michael Taaffe in Round 3, Pick 31 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Fair-plus on Jack Endries, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Dametrious Crownover in the Round 4 slot is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Kage Casey at the 171st overall pick is the proof. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Nice patience on Domani Jackson, who had no business lasting to pick 191. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr in slot 198 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They paid sticker price for Sawyer Robertson in pick No. 202, and that is fine. It fills a real need, too.
They talked themselves into Isaiah Jatta at the 212th pick, and the board did not agree. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Eli Heidenreich at Round 7, Pick 31 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.