B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots let McNeil-Warren fall into their laps, and walked away with a B+.
by pj_doucette ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 10 steals
· 1 reaches
When a board-topper like Emmanuel McNeil-Warren slides to slot 125, you do not overthink it, and the Patriots did not. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B+.
They will need Curry to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck.
That running back hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but running back.
Pick-by-Pick
A slide stopped in Round 2, Pick 31, with Gennings Dunker worth more than the price. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Circle this one: Eli Stowers at slot 71 is a fall that decides a draft. It fills a real need, too.
Caden Curry at the Round 3 slot is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the 125th pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Davison Igbinosun at pick 131 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 147, where Oscar Delp graded well above the range. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Charles Demmings in the 171st overall pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
A quiet steal in No. 191: Zane Durant for less than the market said. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jeff Caldwell at pick 198 is the proof. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Cole Payton at pick No. 202 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Steal is underselling it; Cyrus Allen at slot 212 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
You do not let a cornerback like Thaddeus Dixon reach the 247th pick and blink. They did not. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.