New England Patriots final 2026 NFL Draft class grades: A throwback Patriots draft extends New England’s Super Bowl window

The New England Patriots have put together another strong NFL Draft class, and it’s one that irons out the kinks of last year’s roster.

The New England Patriots wrapped up their 2026 NFL Draft class, making nine total picks throughout the weekend.

It’s clear that their goal was to improve in the trenches and boost the talent floor of the roster after last season. How well did the Patriots accomplish their goal?

New England Final 2026 NFL Draft class grades

New England Final 2026 NFL Draft class grades
Round 1, No. 28: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Round 3, No. 95: Eli Raridon, TE, Notre Dame
Round 5, No. 171: Karon Prunty, CB, Wake Forest
Round 6, No. 196: Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M
Round 6, No. 212: Namdi Obiazor, LB, TCU
Round 7, No. 245: Jam Miller, RB, Alabama
Round 7, No. 247: Quintayvious Hutchins, EDGE, Boston College
Final New England Patriots Draft Class Grades

Round 1, No. 28: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

Lomu is a young, rapidly ascending offensive tackle prospect. His inexperience as an early declaree shows up, but he brings phenomenal tools and worth the upside pick here for a team needing a developmental tackle.

He has some technical concerns to iron out and he’ll need to continue to get stronger, but his upside is tremendous. Lomu projects to be the primary backup and long-term heir to Morgan Moses at right tackle, but he can also play left tackle as well.

Round 2, No. 55: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois

The New England Patriots filled out their pass rush rotation with Illinois’ Gabe Jacas after a brief trade upwards.

He’s a high-floor edge rusher who should immediately bolster the Patriots’ pass rush rotation as a three-down defender. His power profile should immediately translate to the NFL, and he is a much more consistent run defender than K’Lavon Chaisson was last year.

I thought he was the best edge rusher left in the draft, and he can be a long-term piece for the Patriots. Him, Harold Landry, and Dre’Mont Jones is a strong trio.

Grade: A

Round 3, No. 95: Eli Raridon, TE, Notre Dame

Mike Vrabel has spoken about the Patriots’ desire to get into more heavy personnel looks offensively moving forward. Raridon gives them that flexibility. A well-rounded threat, Raridon is an accomplished blocker and receiver. He has the speed to threaten down the seams and is a tremendous contested catch receiver.

He has had some medical problems in the past, but he started the last 28 games of his career and stayed healthy his last two seasons. I think there’s a pathway for him to develop into a starting-caliber top tight end in the NFL. Getting to learn from Hunter Henry and play with Drake Maye will only help that.

Grade: A

Round 5, No. 171: Karon Prunty, CB, Wake Forest

A player that not many knew about entering the draft, Prunty brings some good length, speed, and productivity to New England’s cornerback room. The Patriots needed to add depth on the outside at cornerback, and Prunty has been a highly-decorated cover corner at each stop of his career.

I’m not sure he was a better option than many of the corners left on the board, however.

Grade: C+

Round 6, No. 196: Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M

I love the upside here with Crownover. The term “high ceiling, low floor” applies directly to Dametrious Crownover. Crownover is a mammoth figure at 6-7, 319pounds with nearly 36-inch arms. He knows how to use his length to force rushers to work all the way around him if they want to win with speed or bend.

I appreciated Crownover’s physicality in the run game, and his tight end background flashes from time to time with his athleticism. However, he’s still extremely raw with his technique. His inexperience at tackle shows with falling for stutters, and he lunges a fair bit too often. For all his size, he leaves his inside shoulder open to counters. Crownover plays too high, giving him a soft anchor against power rushers, and he’s stiff moving laterally. This, combined with his still raw technique, makes him an inconsistent option in pass protection. He’s squarely a developmental tackle who needs time and seasoning to handle NFL pass rushers, but the size and strength are worth a look.

The Patriots have been snakebitten by injuries at tackle. Taking two tackles this year isn’t bad process for a team looking to answer long-term tackle questions at both slots.

Grade: B+

Round 6, No. 212: Namdi Obiazor, LB, TCU

I really like this pick for the Patriots. Obiazor is such a Patriots style of linebacker with his old-school style of play. A former safety turned linebacker, Obiazor is a violent force in run defense. I thought he was one of the best block shedding linebackers in the class, and he brings some strong instincts and diagnosing ability against the run.

He doesn’t have a lot of upside in coverage, but he can be a strong early down contributor and special teamer. I think he could outplay this draft pick.

Grade: A-

Round 7, No. 234: Behren Morton, QB, Texas Tech

To be honest, I don’t know why the Patriots would draft a third-string quarterback in this type of window. I’ve never been particularly impressed by Morton’s game, but he can be an effective “point and shoot” distributor. Morton’s intangibles have been praised behind the scenes, so this is a solid backup option, but over Nussmeier is interesting.

Grade: C

Round 7, No. 245: Jam Miller, RB, Alabama

The New England Patriots have their starting tandem at running back with Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, but the rest of their running back room is a little iffy. Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison, and Elijah Mitchell are all vying for RB3 duties, and none have put forward a resume I’d be interested in.

If I were New England, I’d add some insurance here, especially with their emphasis on a more diverse rushing attack. Alabama’s Jam Miller feels like a Patriots’ running back with his physicality and strong fundamentals. He has the build to hold up in pass protection and he boasts extensive special teams experience. With that on top of his physical rushing style, he could lock up RB3 duties immediately for the Patriots.

Grade: A

Round 7, No. 247: Quintayvious Hutchins, EDGE, Boston College

Hutchins is a worthwhile dart throw this late in the draft. He’s quick, with enough juice and bend to turn the corner, but is small and undersized. His motor blends well to special teams, and he can be a solid addition to fill out their outside linebacker room.

The Patriots wanted to add more juice to the end of the rotation, and he’s a nice add alongside fellow rookie Gabe Jacas.

Grade: B+

Final New England Patriots Draft Class Grades

I’m a huge fan of how the Patriots handled the 2026 NFL Draft. I think they loaded up on addressing the trenches, solving a current and future need on both the offensive and defensive lines. They made some worthwhile dart throws in players like Hutchins and Prunty, while boosting the floor of the team with strong adds in Jacas, Raridon, Miller, and Obiazor.

If Lomu becomes the tackle of the future like we all believe he can, this class can be another strong one and the second one of Mike Vrabel’s tenure. I might have taken a couple of other picks at some spots, but it’s hard to argue with the overall results. If they make a big trade at a certain position later as well, the Patriots are set for another Super Bowl run.

Final Grade: A