B
New England Patriots
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Patriots and Lew: B.
by pj_doucette ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 6 steals
· 0 reaches
Thirty-one other rooms let Connor Lew slide, and the Patriots were the ones holding the card at pick No. 125. Highway robbery. Good, not great, and the B says as much.
A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want. They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 31st overall pick they get a wrecking ball inside. The biggest hole, addressed.
A tidy bit of business in slot 63, where Gennings Dunker graded well above the range. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
You do not let a wide receiver like Elijah Sarratt reach the Round 3 slot and blink. They did not. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Connor Lew in the 125th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Jack Endries is a better player than No. 131 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A slide stopped in Round 5, Pick 31, with Nate Boerkircher worth more than the price. The roster fit checks out.
Jeff Caldwell in pick 191 is fair value, right on his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Cole Payton at pick No. 198 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Keagen Trost at pick 202 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Aaron Graves in pick No. 212. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Eli Heidenreich. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.