B-
New England Patriots
More right than wrong for the Patriots, and a B- to prove it.
by Arcadiuz ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 5 steals
· 3 reaches
The Patriots put a flag in the ground for Jamari Lyons, 97 picks before anyone else would have, and the value took the hit. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it. The Lane pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 6 of 8 of the wish list covered.
The offense got the lion's share of the attention.
Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 31 they get a weapon on the perimeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Markel Bell. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They reached a country mile for Tyreak Sapp at the 95th pick, and the board is aghast. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Taking Ja'Kobi Lane in the Round 4 slot is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A straight-up fair deal on Harold Perkins Jr. at Round 4, Pick 31, value and slot in agreement. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Beau Stephens in slot 171. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They paid sticker price for Dae'Quan Wright in the 191st overall pick, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Domani Jackson at pick No. 198 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A quiet steal in the 202nd pick: Jeff Caldwell for less than the market said. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They let VJ Payne come to them and pounced at the Round 6 slot. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jamari Lyons at slot 247 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.