B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B-.
by drew179 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
You can hear the double-takes from here. The Patriots took Adam Randall at the 212th overall pick, roughly 62 spots before his name belonged.
They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it. The Rodriguez pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 31st overall pick they get a double-digit-sack hope at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Caleb Tiernan at the 63rd pick. The roster fit checks out.
Somehow Jacob Rodriguez was still sitting there in Round 3, Pick 31, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. A minor itch, scratched.
Michael Trigg at the Round 4 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Good price on Will Lee III in No. 131, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They jumped the gun on Jeff Caldwell, taking him earlier than his grade liked. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Jalen Stroman in pick No. 191 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Dallen Bentley in the Round 6 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A real head-scratcher, Trey Zuhn III in the 202nd overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Adam Randall in slot 212 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A need, and now a little less of one.
Value said wait; Joe Fagnano in No. 247 says they were not listening. It fills a real need, too.