The Patriots are on to life after the Super Bowl. After falling to the Seattle Seahawks, they’re moving on to the offseason with the goal of making the roster more championship worthy.
This week, Mike Vrabel and members of his coaching staff will be in Indianapolis for the NFL’s Scouting Combine. They’ll be watching and interviewing prospects ahead of the 2026 draft in April.
The Vrabel regime got off to a good start with their initial draft last year. The Patriots had starters on offense (Will Campbell, Jared Wilson), defense (Craig Woodson) and special teams (Andy Borregales, Julian Ashby) from that draft.
In order for the team to continue to add to the foundation they built, as Vrabel put it, they need to keep the ball rolling with this year’s draft.
“Much like a home, you build a home and then run out of things to do, so you continue to add on to it, you finish the basement, you make additions to it, and we’ll try to do that to this football team,” Vrabel said. “I like the foundation of it, and we’ll try to improve on it.”
Vrabel has established a culture and he’s often talked about the importance of bringing in the right players that fit the profile. During the interview process at the Combine, they’ll start to determine which players meet the criteria.
“There’s no test at the combine to measure away heart, fortitude and competitive spirit. They don’t have tests for those types of things,” Vrabel said. “So, we have to put it upon ourselves, our coaching staff, our scouts, our personnel staff, to be able to identify the right type of people. You have to be talented, and you also have to have a certain makeup. That’s when things are tough, which they are, they will be tough during the season, during the game, that we find a way to persevere.”
While Vrabel & Co. pulled off a quick turnaround from a four-win team, being able to maintain position as AFC East champions and the best team in the conference requires improvements in several areas.
Which positions should the Patriots, who sit with the No. 31 pick in the first round, have a keen eye on?
Here’s my Top 5:
Edge rusher
The Patriots weren’t able to generate a consistent pass rush during the regular season. They were a bit better during the post-season, but as we saw with the Seahawks, as well as other playoff teams, an effective pass rush is a must.
Currently, there are question marks around the Patriots top edge rushers from 2025. K’Lavon Chaisson, who had a breakout season with 7.5 sacks, is a pending free agent. While he’s expressed a desire to return, he’s likely to land a decent pay day on the open market.
Harold Landry, meanwhile, was in and out of the line up with a nagging knee injury. He also turns 30 in June.
Whether or not Chaisson and Landry return, this is a significant need. LA Raiders star Maxx Crosby is a possibility, if the Patriots are willing to part with one, and possibly two first-round draft picks.
If they go the draft route, there are plenty of options at No. 31 and beyond. The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said during a conference call Thursday the edge rusher position is loaded.
In his most recent mock draft, Jeremiah has the Patriots taking Missouri’s Zion Young. Other edge defenders to watch include Oklahoma’s Mason Thomas, Texas A & M’s Cashius Howell, and Miami’s Akheem Mesidar. All of the above have a decent chance of being available at No. 31.
Offensive line
Whether the Patriots are sticking with Will Campbell or not, the Patriots need help at tackle.
Mike Vrabel said recently Campbell was the team’s left tackle and the Patriots want to continue to develop last year’s fourth overall pick as Drake Maye’s blindside protector. That’s fine. But if that mission fails, the cupboard is empty. Campbell might also benefit having some competition.
Meanwhile, right tackle Morgan Moses is up in age. He turns 35 in March.
The Patriots didn’t use Marcus Bryant (2025 seventh round pick) very much, instead going with Thayer Mumford Jr., late in the year.
Bottom line: The Patriots still need more capable players at the position whether it’s right or left tackle.
If Vrabel, Eliot Wolf, et al decide to once again take a tackle in the first round, a few of the possibilities would be Utah’s Caleb Lomu, Clemson’s Blake Miller and Georgia’s Monroe Freeling. Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan is a second round prospect.
Receiver
The Patriots may or may not have Stefon Diggs next season. They have to decide if he’s worth the salary ($22.5 million), and cap hit ($26.5 million) at age 33.
Regardless, the Patriots could still use a game-changer in Josh McDaniels offense. They need a No. 1 that threatens defenses.
Texas A&M’s KC Conception has shown up as a Patriots first-round pick in at least one mock draft. Other receiver prospects of note include USC’s Makai Lemon, Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and Oregon’s Malik Benson.
Jeremiah indicated there was good depth at receiver in this draft. He has 19 wideouts with top grades in the first three rounds.
Tight end
Hunter Henry, one of Drake Maye’s favorite targets, is getting up in age (32 in December) and Austin Hooper is headed for free agency.
The Patriots need to add a promising prospect who can catch, and also block to groom behind Henry, or be the No. 2.
Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq is the top prospect. They aren’t likely to take a tight end with their first round pick (31st overall), but should add on at some point.
Texas’ Jack Endries and Baylor’s Michael Trigg are more in the realm.
Safety
The Patriots struck gold last season with Craig Woodson, a 2025 fourth round pick. He was a starter from jump, and got better and better as the season wore on.
Outside of Christian Gonzalez, no one performed better in the Super Bowl than Woodson (10 tackles, 2 passes defenses).
While Woodson should be locked in for many years to come, the second half of the safety duo, veteran Jaylinn Hawkins, is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Even if Hawkins re-signs, the Patriots are lacking depth at the position. So they would be wise to add on either in the draft or free agency.
The 2026 safety class is regarded as strong and deep led by Ohio State’s Caleb Downs. If the Patriots add safety depth to the roster, it’ll be in the mid to late rounds. Some names to keep an eye on are Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley, Utah’s Tao Johnson, and Duke’s Terry Moore.