Mike Vrabel
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is interested in a "third-down machine" ahead of the 2026 NFL draft.
They haven’t been shy about radically altering their options at wide receiver this offseason, and now the New England Patriots and head coach Mike Vrabel are keen on a “third-down machine” ahead of the 2026 NFL draft.
Vrabel took a lead role in running the rule over Boston College wide receiver Lewis Bond during the school’s recent pro day. A report from MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian detailed how “Vrabel had the slot receiver’s ear for nearly 10 minutes during the Pro Day.”
An image of Vrabel in conversation with Bond was captured by Patriots Wire reporter Sophie Weller.
While Bond made an impression on Vrabel, the Patriots would also have gotten credible intel from a familiar source. Former Pats offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is the head coach of the Eagles, and he made Bond a focal point of BC’s passing game, making “him a third-down machine,” according to Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar.
Adding Lewis to the mix would continue an overhaul of their receiver corps the Patritos started in earnest by cutting loose four-time Pro Bowl veteran Stefon Diggs. He was replaced by ex-Green Bay Packers pass-catcher Romeo Doubs in free agency, but Doubs’ arrival could be just the start of more changes at the position.
Lewis Bond Fits Patriots Profile
Both Guregian and Lazar pointed out how Bond fits the profile the Patriots have long prized for the slot position. The tradition began in earnest during offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ first stint with the team, with Guregian referencing his units having “a long line of successful slots including Troy Brown, Wes Welker and Julian Edelman, just to name a few.”
Bond has similar attributes to those on this list. Namely, a lack of vertical speed, nor the muscle to stretch coverage on the perimeter, but he does possess change of direction and after-catch skills to win underneath and across the middle.
Those traits were on display during Bond’s pro day on Monday, March 23, when Lazar noted how the player’s “agility drills also received some praise from onlookers, with his field work showcasing crisp route-running to separate quickly on juke, return, slant, and option-style routes that O’Brien said made him a third-down machine.”
Being able to move this well shows how Bond was able to snatch 88 receptions and average 11.3 yards a catch during his final season at the collegiate level. The numbers were impressive, but the player was surprisingly not invited to the annual NFL Scouting Combine.
Nonetheless, the Patriots appear suitably impressed, with not only Vrabel, but also VP of player personnel Ryan Bowden chatting to the receiver this week, per per Patriots on CLNS.
Drafting Bond would solve an unexpected problem among a changing group of receivers.
Mike Vrabel Not Afraid to Change What’s Worked
When the Patriots jettisoned Diggs, they parted company with a wideout coming off a seventh season topping 1,000 yards. That made it a risky move for a team otherwise lacking a game-breaker among dynamic quarterback Drake Maye’s pass-catchers.
This deficiency is compounded by increasingly negative assessments of the Patriots’ chances of trading for a Vrabel favorite. Perhaps Vrabel and McDaniels will expect more from Maye’s burgeoning connection with natural vertical threat Kayshon Boutte, but he’s being touted as trade bait.
Boutte still has value for the Patriots, but a true chain-mover for the quick and short game would help Maye more.
The Patriots might’ve expected DeMario Douglas to grow into this role, particularly following his record-setting rookie campaign. Unfortunately, Douglas has been inconsistent trying to meet expectations, so Vrabel turning his interest in Lewis into a concrete draft strategy would make sense.