With the NFL Scouting Combine in the rearview, let’s take a quick stab at what a full-fledged Patriots draft class could look like.
We’ll have a chance here to highlight some of the top performers in Indy last week, but we’ll also use this opportunity to take a look at which players could address Patriots needs on Days 1, 2 and 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
This particular seven-round mock draft will also have a bit of a twist. Call it a thought exercise.
With the franchise-tag deadline expiring Tuesday afternoon, we know who likely will be available and who won’t be when the legal tampering period begins next week. Colts receiver Alec Pierce, whose downfield ability makes him seem like an ideal match for Drake Maye, wasn’t tagged.
Not knowing whether or not the Patriots will actually be able to land Pierce, let’s attack this mock as if they sign Pierce in free agency.
What does that mean? Well, for one, you can probably assume Mike Vrabel won’t be looking for wideouts in the first round. It also might mean New England focuses on the trenches with their first few picks.
With the help of the Mock Draft Simulator on Pro Football Focus, here’s what we came up with…
First round, No. 31 overall: Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
Vrabel and his front office faced a difficult choice right off the bat. Missouri’s powerful and relentless edge defender Zion Young was still available, but he’s not as explosive on the edge as others in this class. Wide receiver Omar Cooper looks like their type of player, too; he’s versatile, he’s tough, and his after-the-catch ability and willingness to mix it up as a blocker would make him an immediate contributor on the interior.
But with Morgan Moses having just celebrated his 35th birthday, the Patriots know they need to plan ahead at right tackle. They also know if they wait much longer to try to find a capable player at that position, the well could run dry.
That leads to the selection of Miller, who was just identified by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler on the Next Pats Podcast as a “Vrabel guy.” He started 54 games in four years at Clemson and missed just one practice — with a broken wrist. His toughness and football character will make him a culture fit in Foxboro, and his athleticism could make him a 10-year pro.
At 6-foot-7, 317 pounds with 34-inch arms and 10-inch hands, he tested as one of the most athletic tackles at the combine in the last 30 years. His vertical (32 inches), broad (9-feet-5) and 40-yard dash (5.04 seconds) were excellent. According to Kent Lee Platte, his Relative Athletic Score was sixth-best out of 1,519 tackles from 1987 to 2026.
His technique could use some tidying, which is why he might not go much higher than No. 31. But his team-first mindset and rare movement skills give him an excellent chance of going in the first round.
Second round, No. 63: Malachi Lawrence, ED, UCF
Great teams need great quarterbacks, great coaches, and quality on either side of the line of scrimmage. After addressing their offensive line in the first round, the Patriots jump at the chance to land an underrated pass-rusher with their second pick.
Lawrence was one of the big “winners” from the combine, running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash with a 1.58-second 10-yard split at 6-foot-4, 253 pounds. He also jumped 40 inches in the vertical and 10-foot-10 in the broad. That’s serious lower-body explosiveness, and it matches up with what he put on tape with the Knights.
His first-step quickness and nonstop motor are exactly what the Patriots covet at the position. The Patriots could’ve gone with Penn State’s physically-imposing edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton or Georgia slot receiver Zachariah Branch, but instead they roll with a pass-rusher who checks all kinds of boxes for them and whom NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared to Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat.
Third round, No. 89 (via Chicago Bears): Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
Trade details
- Patriots receive: No. 89 pick
- Bears receive: No. 95 pick (Round 3), No. 201 pick (Round 6), No. 208 pick (Round 6)
In this mock, the Patriots throw a couple of their sixth-rounders to the Bears to move up six spots in the third round and land one of the true “Y” tight ends in this year’s draft class.
Vrabel and Josh McDaniels both know just how valuable it can be to have a big-bodied athlete at tight end who can move people in the running game, and that’s Roush.
The 6-foot-6, 267-pound tight end threw up 25 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and then tore up the athletic testing portion of the program: his 38.5-inch vert, 10-foot-6 broad, 4.70-second 40 and 7.08 three-cone were all eye-opening. His RAS came in at 9.94 out of 10, which ranked ninth out of 1,356 tight ends from 1987 to 2026.
Roush is not going to provide much wiggle as a receiver, but in an offense that is always going to want some level of balance while marrying its passing concepts to its run looks, Roush could give the Patriots a well-rounded weapon at a position that’s becoming harder and harder to fill.
He can give them enough in the passing game, especially after the catch, to be worthy of attention from opposing defenses at the next level. The Patriots passed on Clemson slot receiver Antonio Williams to take Roush, but they’ll have an opportunity to add another young wideout soon…
Fourth round, No. 125 (via Bears): Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State
Looks like one of the twitchiest players in the draft fell all the way to Day 3.
Yes, in this scenario, the Patriots signed a deep threat in Pierce. And, yes, they drafted a speedy undersized wideout in the third round a year ago in Kyle Williams. But with Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas both set to hit free agency a year from now, adding another young player there makes some sense. Plus, his physical traits are hard to pass on at this stage of the weekend.
Thompson clocked a blazing 4.26-second 40 in Indy, hitting 23.95 mph in the process, per NextGen Stats. For context, the all-time 40 record-holder at the combine was Xavier Worthy (4.21 seconds in 2024), and the top speed he reached was a tick slower at 23.62 mph.
Thompson led all Power 4 players with five catches of 50 yards or more. Though he checks in at just 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, he is suddenness personified and could be a valuable complementary piece for an offense focused on generating what Vrabel calls “X plays.”
Fourth round, No. 131: Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
The Patriots could use another running back. Not an early-rounder, necessarily, but some depth behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson should be on their list of needs.
Perhaps the fourth round is a little too early for that kind of addition. But someone with real size and real speed might be worth an early dip into the position. Especially if he can contribute as a kick returner, where the Patriots didn’t get much pop last year once Antonio Gibson went down with a season-ending knee injury.
Enter Mike Washington Jr., who lit up the combine with a 4.33-second 40 and 10-foot-8 broad at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds. He’s had ball-security issues (10 fumbles on 587 carries), and he’s not a polished pass-protector. But his physical gifts are rare. His Speed Score, which factors in a player’s weight in assessing their 40 time, was the second-best ever.
Washington is worth the early Day 3 dice-roll here. Washington’s teammate at Arkansas, big-bodied corner Julian Neal (6-foot-2, 203 pounds), was a consideration here as a physical press corner who isn’t afraid to tackle.
Fifth round, No. 169: Trey Zuhn III, OL, Texas A&M
Never a bad idea to continue to throw bodies at the offensive line and see what sticks. With Mike Onwenu headed into the last year of his contract, and with Jared Wilson potentially headed for a future at center, Trey Zuhn would give the Patriots another guard option for the foreseeable future.
A left tackle for the Aggies, his quickness and football IQ should allow him to make a relatively seamless transition inside — some evaluators believe he could even play center at the next level.
The two-time captain and Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner (given to the SEC’s top offensive lineman) would be a culture fit in Foxboro and push for playing time in a competitive group that will include the newly re-signed Ben Brown.
Fifth round, No. 173 (via Ravens): Tacario Davis, CB, Washington
Trade details
- Patriots receive: No. 173 pick
- Ravens receive: No. 190 pick (Round 6), No. 211 pick (Round 6), No. 247 pick (Round 7)
The Patriots send Baltimore a sixth- and seventh-rounder in order to jump up in the fifth round here. And for the first time since the second round, the Patriots finally add to their defense.
If they played their cards right in free agency, they should have been able to address potential holes at safety and on the edge prior to draft weekend. But teams can never have too many capable corners, and Davis looks like the kind of later-round flier whose traits could allow him to be exactly that as a pro.
The 6-foot-4, 194-pounder has go-go gadget 33-inch arms and plenty of speed (4.41-second 40) to make him a pain to target down the field at the next level. He won’t be the stickiest corner against quick-shifting pass-catchers, but if you want to prevent explosive plays then Davis is an intriguing blend of length and athleticism at this stage of the draft.
