B
New England Patriots
Iheanachor should have been long gone. The Patriots pounced, and earned a B.
by vjcpatriot ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Max Iheanachor at No. 98 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B.
The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. If Black pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.
Leaving interior defensive lineman unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.
Pick-by-Pick
Blake Miller in pick 36 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Derrick Moore in pick No. 60 is fair value, right on his grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Taking Chris Bell in slot 79 is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Steal is underselling it; Max Iheanachor at Round 3, Pick 34 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Skyler Bell at No. 125 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A market-rate tight end, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Oscar Delp. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They took Kaleb Elarms-Orr at par in the 176th pick, which is nothing to complain about. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Ephesians Prysock at the 198th overall pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the cornerback. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Kaelon Black at the 202nd pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Cole Payton in slot 244 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.