There hasn’t been much uncertainty for the New England Patriots to begin the last two NFL Drafts.
Arm length debate aside, offensive tackle Will Campbell was (mostly) the consensus pick at No. 4 in 2025, while quarterback Drake Maye was essentially a lock at No. 3 in 2024.
But in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Patriots find themselves near the bottom of the first round at No. 31 overall. And with 30 picks ahead of them, they’ll need to have multiple plans in place depending on who comes off the board in Round 1.
What might those plans look like? Our Patriots Insider Phil Perry sees edge rusher, offensive tackle and wide receiver as New England’s top three needs in the draft.
So, on the latest episode of the Next Pats Podcast, Perry and CBS Sports draft expert Mike Renner laid out three different draft paths for New England, exploring how Mike Vrabel and Co. might approach Rounds 1, 2 and 3 based on which of those needs they prioritize.
Let’s get to the results.
Path No. 1: Draft a wide receiver first
In this scenario, Perry and Renner give Drake Maye a weapon right off the bat. They land an edge rusher in Round 2 before circling back to an offensive tackle in Round 3.
First round, No. 31 overall: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
Renner: “I think Omar Cooper Jr. is the one I would look at, especially if you’re trying to replace Stefon Diggs in that role he had in the (Patriots’) offense. Cooper is much more of a YAC (yards after catch), slot, underneath weapon who has some speed. I think he’s not pigeonholed into that, but he’s very good at just that.”
Second round, No. 63: Jaishawn Barham, EDGE, Michigan
Renner: “(Barham) started his career at off-ball linebacker and really moved to edge out of necessity this past year. But you watch him setting the edge as a guy who used to be an off-ball linebacker, and you see a level of physicality that’s truly unmatched in this entire edge class outside of Ruben Bain Jr. and Arvell Reese, who aren’t going to last outside the top five. … I think Mike Vrabel would fall in love with his skill set.”
Third round, No. 95: Travis Burke, OT, Memphis
Renner: “(Burke) is really intriguing, because he’s had a pretty strong upward trajectory to his career and had a really great year this past fall, but it was at Memphis. He’s 6-foot-8 (with) very prototypical tackle traits. He’s not the most athletic, but he’s very smooth. And I just was very impressed when I went back and watched him from 2024 to 2025 — it looked like he made a massive leap. So, I’m always intrigued by those guys.”
Path No. 2: Draft an offensive tackle first
In this scenario, Perry and Renner prioritize protection for Maye with an offensive tackle in Round 1, then go the wide receiver route in the second round before finally addressing their edge need in Round 3.
First round, No. 31 overall: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
Renner: “The tape is less exciting in terms of pure performance, but the guy didn’t start playing football until college. (Iheanachor) was not a high school football player and tested out as one of the best athletes in this draft class. So, the progression that I’ve seen from the fact that he’s so new to football, I’ll take that chance.”
Second round, No. 63: Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
Renner: “(Williams) was a slot receiver at Clemson. I think he can be a little bit more than that in the NFL, but I really do like him as a slot receiver. … He is very reliable. He’s got really good hands. He’s rugged over the middle of the field. And I think if he didn’t get hurt (this past season), he would be closer to the first round conversation than back end of the second round.”
Third round, No. 95: Romello Height, EDGE, Texas Tech
Renner: “(Height) is older. He’s 25. He’s on the smaller side at 239 (pounds). … But I watch him and David Bailey on that Texas Tech defensive line, and there’s not really a huge gap in terms of how they both rush the passer. Now, Bailey is a much more projectable athlete, and that’s why he’s going to go in the top 10. He’s much younger. But Romello Height knows how to get after quarterbacks.”
Path No. 3: Draft an edge defender first
In the final scenario, Perry and Renner prioritize the trenches, taking an edge rusher in the first round and an offensive tackle in the second round before circling back to wide receiver in Round 3.
First round, No. 31 overall: Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M
Renner: “He’s just good. The arm length, I get it. It’s worrisome. It’s going to hamper him a little bit. But the guy knows how to play football. He knows how to rush the passer. … (Howell’s) ceiling is not going to be Micah Parsons, right? With that arm length, he’s just going to be a touch limited. He might not dominate the best offensive tackles in the NFL because of it or have struggles against longer offensive tackles because of it. But I think if he gets favorable matchups, he’ll win a lot.”
Second round, No. 63: Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
Renner: “There really is only Day 2 offensive tackle in this draft class. In my eyes, there’s one guy who really fits that mold, and it’s Caleb Tiernan from Northwestern.”
Third round, No. 95: Eric McAlister, WR, TCU
Renner: “(McAlister) is great after the catch and more of a physical sort of wide receiver. He’s a lot bigger; he’s 6-foot-2, over 200 pounds. If you’re building a well-rounded trio of wide receivers — you bring in Romeo Doubs, and it’s kind of the Packers model of wide receivers where every guy can play every role in the offense — that’s what McAlister could bring to the table and give you a lot more flexibility offensively because of it.”
