The New England Patriots have the No. 31 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and Cory Durden was not a fan of NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah's latest mock draft.
Jeremiah had the Patriots selecting Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. The Patriots already have Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, who recently had a domestic assault and battery charge dropped, and Cory Durden. Durden, who had a career year last season, took to X to react to the mock draft.
🤣 https://t.co/FZ7PfSgpq2
— Cory Durden (@9Durden4) March 17, 2026
Durden played in 17 games last season after playing in just eight games in the two seasons prior. Originally an undrafted free agent, he made a name for himself last season. He played just 383 snaps on defense thanks to the presence of Williams and Barmore, but he ended up being a good piece.
He recorded 30 tackles and five tackles for a loss. He made four starts and is a solid rotational piece for the defensive line. Durden proved he is capable of playing well, so the Patriots do not need to draft another defensive tackle.
Durden held his own throughout the season. He made two playoff starts and had four tackles in the playoffs as well. The Patriots have bigger needs to address. Durden does not think he needs to be replaced in the draft, and he is right to think that. He played well enough to be an impact player for other teams, but on the Patriots, he is an above-average depth piece.
Defensive tackle is not an area the Patriots need to improve in. Barmore and Williams are stars the team has invested heavily in, and Durden is more than capable of playing a bigger role if one of them is hurt. Williams and Barmore are also under contract past just next season, so it's too early to draft one of their replacements either.
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