B-
New England Patriots
More right than wrong for the Patriots, and a B- to prove it.
by WannaBePatsGm7 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
You can hear the double-takes from here. The Patriots took Adam Randall at pick 212, roughly 68 spots before his name belonged.
That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. The Reese pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 19 they get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker at a price that makes it sweeter. Need was not the driver here.
A tidy little value on Elijah Sarratt in No. 80, a step better than break-even. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid sticker price for Jack Endries in pick No. 115, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They took DeMonte Capehart at par in the 131st overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
VJ Payne at the Round 5 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Ephesians Prysock at the 174th pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Value with a capital V on Kaleb Elarms-Orr in Round 6, Pick 10, a genuine coup. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Cole Payton in the 198th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They reached into another round for Eli Heidenreich, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Adam Randall in pick 212 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A wild overpay on Enrique Cruz Jr. in pick No. 247, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A need, and now a little less of one.