Austin Konenski
The New England Patriots entered the 2026 NFL Draft with a clear objective. Despite losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, New England prioritized its future more than win-now draft selections. It was a good draft for securing long-term needs; however, NFL executives were not impressed.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando interviewed several NFL executives after the 2026 Draft, and the Patriots were among the teams mentioned. While New England’s first-round pick Caleb Lomu has a lot of upside, the rest of the draft selections were underwhelming across the NFL.
“I actually really like that tackle [Caleb Lomu at No. 28],” an NFL exec told The Athletic. “He’s a little soft, but I think he has a lot of upside. He’s really athletic. We weren’t big on Gabe Jacas, the defensive end from Illinois. Other than that, nothing really stood out from them.”
Another NFL executive said, “More than half the draft happens on the last day, so that’s not the day to miss,” regarding Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel missing Day 3 to enter counseling with his family. Needless to say, the NFL isn’t very high on New England’s haul, outside of Lomu in the first round.
The Patriots drafted Lomu to eventually replace right tackle Morgan Moses, while Gabe Jacas should fill the need at EDGE. New England’s third-round pick, tight end Eli Raridon, will concentrate on development behind Hunter Henry. The Patriots focused on filling needs for the 2027-28 NFL season after Moses, Henry, and others hit free agency.
Outside of Jacas, not many of New England’s players are projected to play much this season. NFL executives weren’t very impressed with the Patriots’ draft, but it should benefit them long-term.
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