With just one day left before the 2026 NFL Draft, our pre-draft coverage is winding down. Still, there’s time for one more New England Patriots seven-round Mock Draft.
We’ll be putting together everything we’ve learned over the course of this pre-draft process to try to project what the Patriots will do over the next few days. This includes comments from Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf, reported meetings, as well as other reports about the team’s strategy and from around the league as a whole.
That includes ESPN’s Adam Schefter saying at the start of the week that “as of now, multiple sources say they believe [A.J.] Brown and the Patriots are likely to become a tandem” in a trade. He added that any trade would likely be after June 1 checkpoint that would change the salary cap implications. Just something to keep in mind when looking at these picks.
TRADE!
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-Pick 34 (2nd round)
-Pick 104 (4th round)
-2027 4th-round pick
With the top tackles off the board, the Patriots see a chance to move back with a quarterback-needy team and pick up extra assets. Future picks are going to be tough to get in a down draft given the talent that projects to come out next year, so even picking up a fourth is big. This is an overpay by the value of about a fourth-rounder by the Cardinals, but that’s not uncommon for a team moving up – especially that needs to jump into the first round without second a first-round pick back.
Round 2, Pick 34 (from ARI):
EDGE Malachi Lawrence, UCF
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To start off Day 2, the Patriots invest in their biggest and most immediate need – edge rusher. Lawrence is one of multiple projected Day 2 players at the position the team has met with.
What sets Lawrence apart? He’s quick and explosive at 6-foot-4, 253 pounds, seemingly putting him in the category of edge rushers Wolf highlighted as his pre-draft press conference last week. “We could complement our room with some speed. I think that’s evident,” Wolf said. “We would like to get faster.” The Patriots hosted Lawrence for a top-30 visit.
Last season was a career year for Lawrence, as he picked up 11 tackles for a loss and seven sacks in 12 games. His pass rush repertoire showed good improvement last year. Given UCF’s schedule last year and the tackles he faced in particular he’ll have a steeper step up in competition than most players coming from a Power Five school, and he’ll need to be more disciplined against the run to be a three-down player at the next level. But at the end of the day, he should help the Patriots get to the quarterback more consistently.
Round 2, Pick 63:
Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
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The Patriots have been tied to a couple of the projected second-round/fringe first-round guards over the past few weeks. With Mike Onwenu in a contract year that includes no guaranteed money for 2026, are they thinking about a significant investment in his replacement? If so Rutledge projects to be the top player fitting that description with their second pick.
Rutledge has four years of starting experience in college – all at right guard – spending his first two at Middle Tennessee State before transferring to Georgia Tech. At 6-foot-4, 316 pounds Rutledge plays with a nasty demeanor and can move defenders in the run game. He can move as well, both as a puller and getting up to the second level. In 2025 his pass protection improved, but he also committed a career-high five penalties.
TRADE!
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-79th overall pick (3rd round)
-231st overall pick (7th round)
-95th overall pick (3rd round)
-131st overall pick (4th round)
-198th overall pick (6th round)
With extra picks in the fourth and sixth round, the Patriots reportedly want to try to move up on Day 2. Moving back in the first round only adds flexibility to do so. They maximize that value by jumping halfway up the third round trading with the pick-needy Falcons who own just five picks in this draft with only three coming in the top 200 prior to this trade.
Round 3, Pick 79 (from ATL):
TE Oscar Delp, Georgia
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After moving up, the Patriots hope to get their tight end of the future in Delp. A lack of college production (20 catches for 261 yards and a touchdown in 14 games last year) will hurt his draft stock for sure, but he checks a lot of other boxes in terms of size (6-foot-5, 245 pounds), athleticism, and skillset as a well-rounded player who can block as well as catch passes.
Delp is certainly more of a projection, which is why he’s projected to still be around at this point. But, if teams bank on his growth and him being helped by better quarterback play, he has the physical tools of a starting NFL tight end. The Patriots clearly wanted to learn more about Delp, hosting him for a top-30 visit.
Round 4, Pick 104 (from ARI):
OT Markel Bell, Miami
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With the other pick from their first-round trade back, the Patriots start off Day 3 by addressing their tackle need. It’s pretty much all project tackles after the first round, so this is more about the Patriots trying to find a backup for both Will Campbell and Morgan Moses, with a more long-term plan towards eventually becoming a starter.
Bell isn’t a bad player to take a swing on, given his rare size. At 6-foot-9, 346 pounds with 36 3/8-inch arms Bell has drawn some comparisons to former Patriot Trent Brown. Most of his game reflects the pros and cons than commonly come with massive players at the position – he’ll bully rushers that come right at him and won’t be knocked off his base, but doesn’t move as well to keep up with quicker rushers. He started 21 games over the last two years at left tackle for the Hurricanes, but his size and power give him swing tackle potential.
Round 4, Pick 125:
LB Aiden Fisher, Indiana
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Wolf mentioned liking the Day 3 linebacker group during his press conference last week. One of the top players in that group is Fisher, who was at the middle of the national championship-winning Hoosiers defense last year after following head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana. He has three years of hyper-productive starting experience including the last two at Indiana.
At 6-foot-1, 232 pounds Fisher has a knack for being at the right place at the right time. He cleans up the plays that need to be made, especially against the run. Against the pass he’s a better blitzer than coverage player. His IQ and instincts will help him make the jump to the next level, and potentially be a green dot player down the road.
The Patriots originally obtained this pick in a draft-day trade with the Chiefs last year. The pick originally belonged to the Bears, who traded it to the Chiefs for Joe Thuney last spring.
Round 5, Pick 171:
DT Nick Barrett, South Carolina
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ESPN NFL Draft insider Jordan Reid made note two weeks ago that New England “wants to continue to strengthen its rotation at [defensive tackle].” After losing Khyiris Tonga but returning the rest of a strong group highlighted by Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, it stands to reason they could be looking for a run-stopper in particular.
That could be Barrett, who is effective at occupying blockers and clogging gaps in the middle of the line as a run defender at 6-foot-2, 312 pounds. In New England he could slot into the defensive tackle rotation on early downs and in short-yardage situations.
Round 6, Pick 191:
RB Kaelon Black, Indiana
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In another era of the sport, taking two Indiana players almost back-to-back would be a head-scratcher. In the age of NIL though, the Patriots double-dip from the defending National Champion Hoosiers. During their title run he ran for 1,040 yards at 5.6 yards per carry, and 10 touchdowns.
Black, who was in Foxboro for a top-30 visit, is a well-rounded back who takes what’s given to him and makes defenders earn the tackle once they get to him. In the passing game he’s better as a pass blocker than receiver, but his physical abilities project room to grow there.
At 5-foot-9, 208 pounds he’s often going to win the leverage battle and appeared on The Athletic’s Freaks List for benching 415 pounds, squatting 500, and recording a 40-inch vertical last summer. He should provide some special teams potential as well, but he did not return kicks at Indiana.
NOTE: The Patriots got this pick from the Chiefs when trading away Joshua Uche in 2024
Round 6, Pick 202:
S Jalen Huskey, Maryland
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Huskey began his college career as a cornerback at Bowling Green before transferring to Maryland and making the shift to safety. Last season he played mostly deep but mixed in over 200 snaps in the box as well. He was able to make plays on the football with four pass breakups and three interceptions. At 6-foot-1, 196 pounds he’s also not afraid to come downhill and play the run. His top-end speed will be tested at the NFL level but he has a chance to be a rotational player while contributing significantly on special teams. The Patriots held a private meeting with him leading up to the draft.
NOTE: The Patriots got this pick from the Steelers when trading away Kyle Dugger last year
Round 6, Pick 212:
P Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse
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We had to mix in a Felger & Mazz Big Board pick. With Bryce Baringer entering a contract year and coming off of a down season, will the Patriots look elsewhere at punter? If so, Stonehouse could be a fit in the range of their four current sixth-round picks. Stonehouse punts with good accuracy and control. His power improved over his four years as a starter, including a career-best 4.29-second average hang time last year. That ranked fourth in college football. There’s also a Patriots connection here – Stonehouse’s cousin Ryan was the Titans’ punter at the end of Vrabel’s tenure in Tennessee.
Round 7, Pick 231 (from ATL):
QB Behren Morton, Texas Tech
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Wolf and Vrabel have both talked about adding a ‘third arm’ to the roster ahead of training camp. That could be a UDFA or even veteran addition, but we’ll have them going with Morton here. Morton had a top-30 visit in Foxboro and is a textbook example of the kind of player projected to go late in the draft a team would use a 30 visit on. A four-year starter at Texas Tech he played through a sprained throwing shoulder for two years. After finally getting that fixed last offseason he suffered a hairline fracture in his right leg midway through that season, and played through that as well.
Given all of that, it’s tough to get a read on where he’s at as a player. Arm strength and velocity looks like a concern, but is that really an issue or a product of the injuries he’s been playing through? At 6-foot-2, 221 pounds he does a good job of throwing off platform and changing his arm angle, and has the basic tools to operate Josh McDaniels’ offense.
Round 7, Pick 247:
CB Karon Prunty, Wake Forest
Prunty’s college football career took him from Kansas to North Carolina A&T then back to the FBS level last year at Wake Forest. He was third-team All-ACC, with six pass breakups and an interception. Prunty is a bigger corner at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and crushed his pro day workout running a 4.45 40 with a 6.82 second three-cone. With that profile he projects as a player who can play multiple roles on special teams, while offering depth at cornerback. The Patriots hosted him for a top-30 visit.
