Editor’s Note: In the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft, Phil Perry is identifying the best fits for the Patriots at each position based on the traits that Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf value, as well as intel from coaches and scouts.
First up were offensive tackles, tight ends, edge defenders, wide receivers and defensive tackles. Today’s installment: linebackers.
The Patriots seem set with their top pairing at off-the-ball linebacker. Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss will both be back and should be given a crack to resume their duties as go-to options in the middle of Mike Vrabel’s defense.
But beyond them? Thin.
Jack Gibbens signed with the Cardinals as a free agent, and Jahlani Tavai has been released. Marte Mapu was traded this week.
There’s some potential depth currently on the roster in K.J. Britt and Chad Muma. But one could make the argument that the Patriots need to be in the market for a linebacker relatively early in this year’s draft in order to protect against an injury to one of their regulars at the position.
If that’s how the team views it, they’ll likely be looking for instinctive, high-motor players who have exhibited real pop as tacklers. Tough-minded, violent finishers who are open to playing in the kicking game could be welcomed, too.
Those were all traits that applied to Spillane and Elliss. The same is true for the bulk of the linebackers used most frequently by Vrabel during his time in Tennessee. Rashaan Evans, David Long, Jayon Brown, Dylan Cole, Azeez Al-Shaair and Monty Rice checked similar boxes for the Titans. They didn’t possess massive frames, but they were aggressive strikers with the instincts to rack up tackle numbers in the middle of the field and at (or behind) the line of scrimmage.
Which players look like the best fits from the incoming class of rookies? Let’s get to ’em.
Day 1: CJ Allen, Georgia
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Brett Davis-Imagn Images CJ Allen makes up for his lack of explosiveness with his high football IQ.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder isn’t the most explosive linebacker in this year’s class. There are two from Ohio State who’ll be taken near the top of the first round who’ve earned that billing: Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles.
But what Allen may lack in terms of pop, he more than makes up for with his football IQ. Even if he’s not as violent as Vrabel would like on a snap-to-snap basis, he’s a tackle machine (First-Team All-American, 88 tackles in 2025) whose instincts keep him around the football. His football character and smarts make him a good fit, but if the Patriots want him, they may have to use their first pick.
Day 2: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
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Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Jacob Rodriguez finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy vote last season.
A former quarterback, running back and receiver at the University of Virginia, Rodriguez plays on the defensive side like someone who has an intimate understanding of what his offensive counterparts are trying to do. The unanimous All-American finished with 128 tackles and 11 for a loss in 2025, helping him finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy vote.
The 6-foot-1, 233-pounder lit up the combine with a 4.57-second 40-yard dash and a 38.5-inch vertical. He also clocked a very impressive 6.90-second three-cone drill, indicating that he’ll be able to change direction effectively when tasked with tackling better athletes at the next level.
A high-effort player with a real nose for the football (seven forced fumbles last season), he’d be a solid fit in a locker room that values what Vrabel calls “ball disruption.”
Day 2: Josiah Trotter, Missouri
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Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Josiah Trotter is a violent defender, but he needs improvement in coverage.
You want violent? Here’s violent. Trotter will come downhill and run through you on early downs. The question with him is whether or not he’s savvy enough to be on the field in passing situations at this stage of his career.
At 6-foot-2, 237 pounds he has the size and mentality to contribute as a tone-setting thumper right away. A first-team All-SEC honoree last season (84 tackles, 13.0 for a loss), Trotter only just turned 21 years old, making him one of the youngest players across positions in the class.
You’d assume some level of improvement when it comes to his awareness in coverage, given the proper coaching. Would that projection, combined with what he’s already put on tape, allow the Patriots to use a Day 2 pick on him?
Day 2: Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona State
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Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Keyshaun Elliott seems to check all the boxes as an explosive, violent LB and a “high-quality teammate.”
Vrabel was clearly interested in working with offensive tackle Max Iheanachor at Arizona State’s pro day, but he would’ve had the opportunity to see Elliott up close there as well. At 6-foot-2 and 233 pounds, he posted an impressive 4.58-second 40 time that day, as well as a 7.02-second three-cone drill. Elliott’s vertical (38 inches) at the combine was an eye-opener and indicative of NFL-caliber lower-body explosiveness.
There’s plenty on the field that Elliott brings to the table that Vrabel might like, too. He racked up 98 tackles, including 7.0 sacks, last season on his way to second-team All-Big 12 honors. He’s a violent hitter in the running game, and he’s considered a high-quality teammate. He plays with a level of physicality that would allow him to fit in in Foxboro defensively or on special teams.
Day 3: Red Murdock, Buffalo
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Denny Medley-Imagn Images Red Murdock stood out as a leader at Buffalo and was one of the most productive linebackers in the class.
A second-team All-American with a whopping 142 tackles, 13.5 for a loss and six forced fumbles, Murdock is one of the most productive ‘backers in this class. He posted 156 tackles in 2024 and seven forced fumbles in 2024.
He was a captain who refused to leave Buffalo when he would’ve had a chance to transfer to a bigger program. Highly intelligent and with a thirst for contact, there’s not much the Patriots wouldn’t like about his game. He’ll be challenged by the jump in competition as a pro. His athletic traits don’t necessarily jump off the screen. And his work in coverage needs refinement. But in terms of his competitive spirit and on-field demeanor, he makes sense in New England.
Day 3: Aiden Fisher, Indiana
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Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Aiden Fisher was a captain for the national champion Indiana Hoosiers.
One of the James Madison transfers to follow coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana, Fisher quickly ended up as one of the top leaders for one of the best programs in the country. A two-time first-team All-American (combined 215 tackles in 2024 and 2025), Fisher was a captain as the Hoosiers completed their run to a national title.
At 6-foot-1, 232 pounds, he has enough in the way of size to qualify for this list. But it’s his motor that makes him the kind of player you could truly envision functioning in Vrabel’s defense. He may not hear his name called until Day 3 of the draft, but he seems like the kind of player who’ll outperform whatever expectations are attached to his draft slot.
Day 3: Bryce Boettcher, Oregon
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Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Bryce Boettcher was drafted by the Houston Astros while serving as a standout linebacker for Oregon.
Originally attending Oregon on a baseball scholarship, Boettcher walked onto the football team to play for coach Dan Lanning and ended up being a two-sport athlete for three years. Boettcher established himself as one of the best defensive outfielders in the country in 2024 and was drafted by the Astros in the 13th round that year. But in 2025, he focused on football and ended up being named second-team All-Big 10 as an instinctive and hard-charging linebacker.
At 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, Boettcher carries a walk-on chip on his shoulder and has a strike-you mindset that is unrelenting. He can overpursue at times, perhaps trusting his instincts too much in play-fake situations, but his want-to and potential on special teams could end up landing him in Foxboro.
Day 3: Jack Kelly, BYU
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Rob Gray-Imagn Images Jack Kelly could fit in as a core special teamer, with the potential to grow into more for New England.
Kelly projects similarly as a fast-flowing linebacker with quality intangibles. Not hard to see him fitting in as a core special teamer — with the potential to grow into more — thanks to his attacking style and athletic traits.
A two-time captain at BYU, the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder was a Weber State transfer who grew up as a champion BMX racer, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. He hates to miss time and projects as the type of player whose energy and physical play style will make him a coach’s favorite wherever he ends up as a pro.
Day 3: Taurean York, Texas A&M
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Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Taurean York was a two-time captain for Texas A&M who led the team in tackles last season.
York won’t bring with him to the NFL the level of pop in his pads that some others on this list will. But his instincts are hard to teach. At 5-foot-11, 226 pounds, he may have moments when he’s overrun by bigger blockers. But he’ll consistently be in the right place at the right time.
A two-time captain (as a true sophomore and junior), York led the Aggies in tackles last season with 73 while starting in all 13 games. His ability to align his teammates and sniff out offensive intentions give him the feel of having an extension of the coaching staff on the field. He’ll struggle if asked to man up on bigger targets in the passing game, and he’ll face obvious hurdles in the run game at times due to his size. But this is a position where knowing where to be can often prove to be more valuable than simply looking the part.
On Day 3? He’ll make someone happy because of the way in which he’s able to process that which he sees.
