B-
New England Patriots
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Patriots a B-.
by DaveDanc ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 8 steals
· 1 reaches
You can hear the double-takes from here. The Patriots took Jack Pyburn at the 212th pick, roughly 73 spots before his name belonged. Good, not great, and the B- says as much.
The Washington Jr. pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with edge rusher chief among the fixes. Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Sonny Styles in pick No. 31. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Christen Miller in the Round 2 slot is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Mike Washington Jr. at No. 95 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It fills a real need, too.
A tidy bit of business in Round 4, Pick 25, where Tacario Davis graded well above the range. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Justin Joly at the 136th overall pick is money in the bank, a tight end taken below his worth. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Dametrious Crownover at the 150th pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. A need, and now a little less of one.
They read the board right and Zane Durant was the payoff at pick 191. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Jeff Caldwell slid further than he should have, and Round 6, Pick 17 is lovely value for the wide receiver. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
The board had Kobe Baynes higher than the 202nd pick, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Jack Pyburn well ahead of where he belonged. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Jalen Huskey is a better player than slot 247 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.