B
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Branch fall and pounced. Final grade: B.
by pj_doucette ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 8 steals
· 0 reaches
Thirty-one other rooms let Zachariah Branch slide, and the Patriots were the ones holding the card at the 131st overall pick. Highway robbery. It nets out to a B, which feels about right.
That interior defensive lineman hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Edge rusher is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 31 they get a cornerstone up front at fair value.
They paid sticker price for Derrick Moore in pick 63, and that is fine. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Circle this one: Antonio Williams at slot 95 is a fall that decides a draft. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jake Golday at the 125th pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Somehow Zachariah Branch was still sitting there in the Round 4 slot, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Charles Demmings at Round 5, Pick 31 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
The board had Travis Burke higher than No. 191, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Good price on Taylen Green in the 198th overall pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. The roster fit checks out.
Jeff Caldwell at the 202nd overall pick is money in the bank, a wide receiver taken below his worth. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They will replay Ephesians Prysock at pick No. 212 for years; that is how good the value is. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Jaren Kanak is a better player than slot 247 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It patches a soft spot without any drama.