Patriots Still Have 4 Glaring Positional Concerns Heading into Draft

As the dust has settled on the first few waves of the free agency period, the New England Patriots have done a solid job addressing their roster needs. They were able to add several of the premier free agents, such as safety Kevin Byard and wide receiver Romeo Doubs, strengthening their chances of remaining a competitive team in 2026. 

While head coach Mike Vrabel and Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf made some terrific additions, there’s still more work to be done. New England must replace multiple key contributors to their Super Bowl run, such as edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and find offensive tackle Morgan Moses’ heir apparent. 

Fortunately, the Patriots can fill these voids with their 11 selections in the upcoming draft, now just about two weeks away. With that in mind, here’s New England’s four glaring positional needs entering the draft.

Patriots' 4 Biggest Draft Needs

1. Edge Rusher

Even though the Patriots signed edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones, they desperately could use another impactful player on the edge. New England lost arguably their best pass rusher in Chaisson, along with a quality run-stopper in Anfernee Jennings. 

With these departures, the Patriots are currently thin on reliable edge rushers. Outside of Jones, they have Harold Landry III, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson, Jesse Luketa, and Amari Gainer. 

While Landry was great last year, he was also hampered by a nagging knee injury during the playoff run. Not only that, but he’ll also be 30 at the start of next season. Ponder impressed as an undrafted free agent last season, posting four sacks and 17 hurries; however, he cannot be relied on to generate consistent pressure. 

Meanwhile, Swinson, Luketa, and Gainer’s potential is uncertain, as they’ve hardly played. The Patriots posted only 35 sacks last season, which tied for 22nd. If they don’t use a premium selection on an edge rusher, they’ll post a worse mark with this current iteration. 

One prospect they could target in the draft is edge rusher Zion Young, who’s already had a top-30 visit with the team. Although this doesn’t guarantee that New England will draft him, they clearly have interest in him, and who can blame him? Young had a breakout with the Missouri Tigers last season, logging 42 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 32 hurries. 

2. Wide Receiver

As they did at edge rusher, the Patriots did a one-for-one exchange at receiver, replacing Diggs with Doubs. This was undoubtedly a smart decision by the Patriots’ front office, as Doubs offers long-term upside at a cheaper cost. 

Despite this, Doubs hasn’t shown he can be a No. 1 receiver, and the Patriots still lack a pass-catcher that can consistently create separation. Part of the reason quarterback Drake Maye struggled for most of the playoffs was this. 

Continuing to build around Maye and surrounding him with playmakers should remain atop the priority list, as he’s quickly proven capable of leading a team to the Super Bowl. Besides Doubs, the Patriots have Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III. 

Despite lingering rumors of a potential trade for perennial wide receiver A.J. Brown, the Patriots should prioritize drafting and developing a long-term connection for Maye.

They should look no further than Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. I discussed a few months earlier that the Patriots’ offense would benefit from adding Cooper to the mix, as his ability to create separation and excellent route running fit offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ scheme. 

Cooper’s career average of 15.6 yards per reception would add another downfield threat to New England’s offense. 

3. Offensive Tackle

Offensive tackle remains a glaring need for the Patriots, largely due to their lack of reliable depth. Considering their lack of experienced depth at tackle, I was particularly surprised when the team let backup tackle Vederian Lowe walk in free agency, as he proved to be a serviceable backup.

To replace him, the Patriots signed James Hudson III, who committed four penalties in one drive for the New York Giants last season. Given that their other three backup tackles, Marcus Bryant, Sebastian Gutierrez, and Lorenz Metz, combine for 21 career snaps, New England must add another tackle to the mix. 

Not only that, the Patriots must find a starting right tackle to replace Morgan Moses, as the 12-year veteran turned 35 in March. Despite providing stability at the tackle spot, the Patriots lack a strong candidate to be his replacement. 

While Bryant could potentially throw his hat in the ring, he’s yet to prove himself in limited reps. Since starting left tackle Will Campbell missed time with a MCL sprain last season, and with Moses nearing the end of his career, the Patriots should use multiple draft selections on a tackle. 

One name that stands out is tackle Max Iheanachor, who had a combine and top-30 visit with the franchise. The two-year starter out of Arizona State has been an anchor on the right side, allowing just three sacks and 39 hurries across 1,159 pass-blocking snaps. 

While Iheanachor’s play has made him a projected first-round selection, the majority of Patriots’ fans were introduced to him a few weeks ago, when he went one-on-one with Vrabel (h/t _colinhogan).

4. Linebacker

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Wolf pointed to off-ball linebacker as a position of need. With Wolf releasing Jahlani Tavi and Jack Gibbens departing for the Arizona Cardinals, depth has become an increasing need at the position. 

Behind starters Christian Elliss and Robert Spillane, the Patriots currently have K.J. Britt, Chad Muma, and Otis Reese IV. Britt and Mapu both primarily served on the special teams last season and will likely compete for backup reps, while Muma and Reese project more as roster bubble players. 

With Spillane turning 30 and dealing with a lingering ankle injury during their playoff run, the Patriots must inject impactful youth into this group. Luckily for New England, this year’s draft class is loaded with linebacker depth and provides several avenues to strengthen its unit. 

University of Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is an ideal target that Wolf should consider. Hill proved to be a versatile linebacker for the Longhorns, logging 249 total tackles, 17 sacks, and three interceptions across 40 games. He’s regarded as one of the best tacklers in his class, posting 31.5 tackles for loss. 

Hill’s skill set would be a great addition to the Patriots’ defense, as he can provide them with meaningful snaps right away. 

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