B-
New England Patriots
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Patriots a B-.
by Rob ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 2 steals
· 7 reaches
The Patriots bet big and early on George Gumbs Jr., 65 picks ahead of the board. Bold does not always mean right.
The Ramsey value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the quarterback spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 31 they get a true top target. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They liked Keylan Rutledge enough to skip the value, taking him in the 63rd pick. A need, and now a little less of one.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Kamari Ramsey in the 95th overall pick. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They jumped the gun on Oscar Delp, taking him earlier than his grade liked. The roster fit checks out.
George Gumbs Jr. at No. 131 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Travis Burke at Round 5, Pick 31 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It fills a real need, too.
They paid up for VJ Payne at the 191st overall pick when waiting would have done the job. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Landon Robinson in pick 198 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jalen Stroman in No. 202 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jadon Canady at the Round 6 slot jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They let Miles Kitselman come to them and pounced at the 247th pick. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.