The Patriots were savvy in free agency, addressing their biggest needs and allowing them to select the best player available early in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But the Patriots do still have holes on their roster to fill next month in the draft. Most notably, the Patriots still need some help at edge defender, offensive tackle and tight end.
We have the Patriots taking players at those positions early in our second mock draft of the offseason.
We’re treating this mock draft as if the Patriots are not trading any of this year’s picks for Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. We used PFF’s mock draft simulator to put this together.
Round 1, Pick No. 31: EDGE Zion Young, Missouri
The Patriots signed edge defender Dre’Mont Jones in free agency but also lost K’Lavon Chaisson and released Anfernee Jennings. Linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who contributed on the edge, was also released.
That leaves the Patriots with Jones, Harold Landry, who missed time with a knee injury last season, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson and Jesse Luketa on the edge. Jones and Landry, when healthy, should be starters, and Ponder was a coach’s favorite last season. But the team still needs significant help in the pass rush department.
Enter Young, who has prototypical size at 6-foot-6, 262 pounds, generated 57 pressures last season with 6.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Round 2, Pick No. 63: OT Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern
Will Campbell and Morgan Moses are locked into the Patriots’ starting left and right tackle spots, respectively. But the team still lacks serious depth at the position with James Hudson, Marcus Bryant, Sebastian Gutierrez and Lorenz Metz behind them.
Tiernan, who’s 6-foot-8, 323 pounds, can begin his NFL career as a swing tackle who can eventually take over for Moses at right tackle. He allowed just 13 total pressures in consecutive years and was a four-year starter in the Big Ten Conference.
Northwestern running back Evan Hull celebrates his touchdown against Southern Illinois with offensive lineman Caleb Tiernan, right, during the first half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Evanston, Ill. (AP Photo/Matt Marton
Northwestern running back Evan Hull celebrates his touchdown against Southern Illinois with offensive lineman Caleb Tiernan, right, during the first half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Evanston, Ill. (AP Photo/Matt Marton
Hudson was signed to a one-year deal on Monday. He gives the Patriots some flexibility as a potential swing tackle option.
Round 3, Pick No. 95: WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
Even if the Patriots plan to acquire Brown after the 2026 NFL Draft using 2027 picks, they could still use help and more youth at wide receiver. They currently head into the 2026 season with Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism, John Jiles and Jeremiah Webb on the roster.
Brown would immediately enter the fold as the team’s de facto No. 1 wide receiver. Patriots team brass has acknowledged that the best way to find a No. 1 wide receiver is by drafting and developing, however.
Fields isn’t a speed demon — he ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine — but he has top-end size and strength at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds. He caught 36 passes for 630 yards with five touchdowns at Notre Dame last season after back-to-back 800-plus receiving campaigns at Virginia.
Round 4, Pick No. 125: TE Jack Endries, Texas
Maybe the Patriots pull the trigger on a tight end earlier in the draft, but Endries has the potential to blossom into a starter. The Patriots need a player with that type of upside, with Hunter Henry, Julian Hill, CJ Dippre, Marshall Lang and Jack Westover occupying the room.
Endries is 6-foot-5, 245 pounds and ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He caught 124 passes for 1,376 yards with seven touchdowns in three seasons as a starter at Cal and Texas.
Round 4, Pick No. 131: LB Bryce Boettcher, Oregon
After releasing Tavai and electing not to tender or re-sign Jack Gibbens, a hole opened up at linebacker for the Patriots to fill.
Boettcher, a two-sport star who was also drafted by the Houston Astros, is productive and athletic at 6-foot-1, 233 pounds.
Round 5, Pick No. 171: CB Hezekiah Masses, California
The Patriots hit on a mid-round defensive back from Cal last season when they selected safety Craig Woodson in the fourth round.
Masses, who’s 6-foot-1, 179 pounds, ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and intercepted five passes with 13 pass breakups last season.
Round 6, Pick No. 191: RB Kaelon Black, Indiana
After releasing Antonio Gibson, the Patriots need more competition for a depth roster spot behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. A sixth-round pick like Black would compete with Terrell Jennings and Lan Larison.
Black, who’s 5-foot-9, 208 pounds, rushed for 1,040 yards with 10 touchdowns last season with the national champion Indiana Hoosiers.
Round 6, Pick No. 198: G Anez Cooper, Miami
Adding a player like Cooper, who’s 6-foot-6, 334 pounds, would create competition at guard behind starters Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mike Onwenu, and top backup Ben Brown. The Patriots currently have Mehki Butler, Andrew Rupcich and Caedan Wallace as depth options.
Round 6, Pick No. 202: DT Cole Brevard, Texas
The Patriots lost defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga in free agency. Brevard has the size to develop as a nose tackle at 6-foot-3, 346 pounds.
Round 6, Pick No. 212: QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State
But cutting backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs on Monday, Tommy DeVito moves up to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, creating a hole in the third/emergency QB role.
Payton is a phenomenal athlete at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds. He was just a one-year starter at quarterback but rushed for 2,069 yards with 31 touchdowns in five seasons with the Bison. As a senior in 2025, he completed 71.2% of his passes for 2,719 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Round 7, Pick No. 224: OT Fa’alili Fa’amoe, Wake Forest
It makes sense to keep adding depth at offensive tackle.
Fa’amoe started games over four seasons at Washington State and Wake Forest. He allowed just two sacks in consecutive seasons to end his college career.