A
New England Patriots
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Patriots and Douglas: A.
by BrianC ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
The real work happened on the phones. The Patriots fleeced their trade partners, turning their picks into a noticeably bigger pile than they started with. Just about everything broke right, and the A follows.
The Douglas steal is the beam this whole class leans on. They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it. Reaching for Crownover left real value on the table behind him.
Bottom line, with Gabe Jacas leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
Gabe Jacas slipping to the 63rd pick is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Steal is underselling it; Eli Stowers at Round 3, Pick 13 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They reached a country mile for Dametrious Crownover at slot 125, and the board is aghast. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Julian Neal at pick No. 131 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Value with a capital V on Beau Stephens in No. 171, a genuine coup. The roster fit checks out.
A wide receiver of that caliber at the 191st overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Nice patience on Dae'Quan Wright, who had no business lasting to the Round 6 slot. A need, and now a little less of one.
Jalen Huskey in Round 7, Pick 31 is fair value, right on his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.