C+
New England Patriots
The Patriots land in the muddy middle: C+.
by Wannabe Pats GM 9 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 3 steals
· 8 reaches
It is the swing that defines the weekend: Eric Gentry in the 247th pick, a good 108 spots before the room expected him.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped interior defensive lineman, which is a strange place to end up. Farmer at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 7 of 8 of the wish list covered.
It grades out a shrug today, with plenty of room to move either way.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 31 they get a building block for the line, reach and all. A real need, handled.
Jacob Rodriguez is a better player than the 63rd overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They paid sticker price for Bryce Lance in the Round 3 slot, and that is fine. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A slide stopped in pick No. 125, with Jalen Farmer worth more than the price. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jack Endries slipping to pick 131 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. The roster fit checks out.
VJ Payne at Round 5, Pick 31 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A conviction pick on Cole Payton at slot 191 that the board grades a round light. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Adam Randall in the Round 6 slot, miles early. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Patrick Payton at Round 6, Pick 21 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Eli Heidenreich at pick 234 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They reached a country mile for Dijon Johnson at the 235th pick, and the board is aghast. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They reached into another round for Eric Gentry, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.