It's the most wonderful time of the year!
The New England Patriots are putting the finishing touches on their preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft, which means it is time for us to start tossing some predictions out there in hopes to get at least a few right so we can brag about how smart we are over the coming months -- or something like that.
NESN is giving us five tries at getting this thing right, with our stories dropping on March 23, March 30, April 6, April 13, and April 20. I'll set out new rules for each crack at it, with the next edition of our little series coming under these restrictions: the first six players drafted must have at least one connection to the organization.
Let's go!
2026 NFL Draft (Mock 2.0)
🚨 2026 MOCK DRAFT 2.0 🚨
Max Iheanachor inspired me to do a full "if there's smoke, there's fire" draft, so pretty much every single pick here has been tied to the #Patriots. If they haven't, they're a special teams contributor. pic.twitter.com/CX9TvhcfZB
— Keagan Stiefel (@KeaganStiefel) March 30, 2026
No. 31: OT Max Iheanachor (Arizona State)
Iheanachor is suddenly the most-likely option at No. 31. If you've been living under a rock recently, not only did you miss him gushing about his official visit with the organization but he also did some hands-on field work with Mike Vrabel during his pro day at Arizona State.
Morgan Moses isn't going to be around forever, so this is how you get out ahead of things to find his replacement. Will Campbell would still be your guy at left tackle, though the added pressure of another first-round pick competing for reps in training camp can't hurt.
No. 63: EDGE Romello Height (Texas Tech)
Height isn't going to get the people going quite like Illinois' Gabe Jacas, Clemson's T.J. Parker, or Texas A&M's Cashius Howell, but they need someone who is going to impact the opposing quarterback... Height did have an official visit, so there is some proven interest in the player.
The nail in the coffin.@height_romello x @johncurry15_806 pic.twitter.com/dGpsFqvaBi
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) November 1, 2025
No. 95: TE Oscar Delp (Georgia)
Delp isn't going to last this long in real life, but we're going to take advantage of these dumb computers for however long we have left. The Patriots need to start building for the future at tight end, and this young man gives them the exact kind of upside they should be looking for at the position.
No. 125: DL Kaleb Proctor (Southeastern Louisiana)
Proctor is the prized small-school prospect in this class, as he put together an absurd performance at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine and finished with 9.0 sacks from the interior defensive line in 2025. I've made plenty about the club's lack of urgency on the edge, but does it really matter where guys are rushing from? If you can get after it, you can get after it.
No. 131: WR De'Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss)
I'll admit that we made this exact pick in our first mock draft, but it still made sense under these new rules so we ran it back.
Stribling was one of the biggest winners to come out of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran the seventh fastest 40-yard dash (4.36) and broad jump (10' 7") among wide receivers at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds -- making him the second heaviest player to reach those numbers (Cincinnati's Jeff Caldwell). If you want some size, speed, and physicality, there might not be a better place to look for it.
No. 171: IOL Jeremiah Wright (Auburn)
Wright is another recent addition to the list of prospects who have taken visits, and it makes sense that the club is looking for reinforcements along the interior offensive line. Alijah Vera-Tucker has appeared in just 43 of a possible 85 games since 2021, so you need to have a backup plan.
No. 191: S Lorenzo Styles Jr. (Ohio State)
Styles is the fastest guy available (4.27 in the forty-yard dash in February), so why not see if you can turn him into a contributing member to the defense? If that doesn't work out, there is special teams value.
STYLES KICK RETURN TOUCHDOWN TO THE 🏠@OhioStateFB
📺:NBC pic.twitter.com/n2n2mmHQQu
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 16, 2025
No. 198: KR Kaden Wetjen (Iowa)
Speaking of special teams value...
Wetjen finished his collegiate career by leading the country in kick return average in back-to-back seasons (28.0 in 2024, 29.9 in 2025), while also putting six touchdowns on the board as the primary kick returner/punt returner for Iowa. The Patriots struggled to find someone who can return kicks toward the latter half of last season, so this would be a worthy investment.
No. 202: WR Tyren Montgomery (John Carroll)
Josh McDaniels. John Carroll. Senior Bowl. Yada yada yada.
No. 212: RB Adam Randall (Clemson)
Randall is still working his way through the transition from wide receiver to running back, but the early returns aren't too bad! The Patriots brought him in, so there seems to be some interest in bringing someone aboard who can do a little bit of everything and see just how good he can be.
No. 247: P Brett Thorson (Georgia)
Thorson is the best punter available. Bryce Baringer continues to struggle with the technical aspects of his position, as more often than not he just smokes the football as hard as he can and doesn't exactly do the whole aiming thing... New England could use an upgrade.
Summary
The Patriots have prioritized familiarity with their offseason additions -- whether it was with everything they did last season or with their moves during free agency this offseason. I'd imagine that trend won't change any time soon, so we attached them to as many players who made official visits as possible, all while addressing the major needs.
How do you think we did? Let me know on X!
More NFL: 2026 NFL Draft Preview: Profiling Most Interesting Players In Class