C+
New England Patriots
McDonald should have been long gone. The Patriots pounced, and earned a C+.
by Kev05555 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 6 steals
· 5 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Kayden McDonald got past him. The Patriots do not have to explain a thing at the Round 6 slot.
If McCullough pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. The quarterback hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Hit on Eric Rivers and the swing picks, and this ages a lot better than it grades today.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 31 they get a No. 1 receiver, though the board says they badly overpaid. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Max Iheanachor in No. 63. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in Round 3, Pick 31 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, Davison Igbinosun in pick No. 125, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They talked themselves into Nadame Tucker at the 131st pick, and the board did not agree. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Dasan McCullough well ahead of where he belonged. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Ted Hurst at the Round 6 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Dae'Quan Wright at pick 198 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They robbed the room for Kayden McDonald here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They reached into another round for Jimmy Rolder, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A big swing on Logan Taylor at pick 247, well ahead of any board in the building. It fills a real need, too.