C+
New England Patriots
Flashes of a plan, unevenly run, for the Patriots: C+.
by GothePats ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 0 steals
· 5 reaches
They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Caden Curry, 69 picks early at No. 63. The final tally is a middling C+.
The quarterback spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
So much rides on Colton Hood that the real verdict is a season or two away.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 31st overall pick they get an island corner. More want than need.
They reached into another round for Caden Curry, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A tidy little value on Ted Hurst in pick No. 95, a step better than break-even. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Dametrious Crownover in the Round 4 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Bishop Fitzgerald at slot 131 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the safety. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Aaron Graves at Round 5, Pick 31 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They paid sticker price for Red Murdock in the 191st pick, and that is fine. A minor itch, scratched.
A straight-up fair deal on Kobe Baynes at pick No. 198, value and slot in agreement. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A real head-scratcher, Jack Kelly in the 202nd overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Dallen Bentley in the Round 6 slot. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
This one needs a full-page explanation: J. Michael Sturdivant in No. 247, miles early. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.