B-
New England Patriots
Good, not great, for the Patriots: B-.
by Kenny proctor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
Somebody in the Round 4 slot was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Patriots sat still while Skyler Bell, the No. 85 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.
Sapp has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 31 they get a No. 1 receiver at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Michael Taaffe at Round 2, Pick 31 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Tyreak Sapp at Round 3, Pick 31 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Steal is underselling it; Skyler Bell at the 125th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jack Endries at pick 131 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Travis Burke at slot 171 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A need, and now a little less of one.
Domani Jackson slipping to the 191st overall pick is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A minor itch, scratched.
A reasonable price with a little left over, J'Mari Taylor in No. 198. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Red Murdock at pick No. 202 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A tidy little value on Aaron Graves in the Round 6 slot, a step better than break-even. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Jalen Huskey in the 247th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.