A quiet Patriots draft plan could reshape their secondary sooner than expected

While the New England Patriots solved an immediate need by signing All-Pro safety Kevin Byard III to a one-year, $9 million deal this offseason, inking the soon-to-be 33-year-old defensive back to a short-term deal also raised questions about the future of the position.

The franchise looks to be exploring the possibility of addressing safety in the early rounds of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, as it is reportedly set to host a pair of highly touted prospects on top-30 visits, Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Penn State's Zakee Wheatley.

Both players are expected to be off the board by the end of Day 2, so here's an idea of what the Patriots would be getting from investing that kind of premium draft capital to acquire one of them.

The Patriots are quietly doing their homework on two intriguing safety prospects

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

NFL Next Gen Stats ranked McNeil-Warren as the third-best overall safety in this year's class, and landing him may cost the Patriots their first round pick. Measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds, he's intrigued scouts with exceptional length, physicality when attacking ball carriers, and production defending against the run.

The 2025 second-team All-American recorded a career-high 77 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions (including one pick-six) during his senior campaign last season. McNeil-Warren's Pro Football Focus overall grade of 92.4 was the highest mark among all college football safeties by over two points, and he was the only player at his position to earn a PFF grade of over 90 in both run defense and pass coverage.

“I had (a visit) a couple of weeks ago with the Patriots. It went well,” McNeil-Warren told Kay Adams recently on the Up & Adams Show of his trip to Foxborough. “I liked their facility, the whole coaching staff. ... Just being able to meet them, it was cool."

Although the Toledo product is expected to develop into a solid starter at the professional level, his skillset may be too similar to that of the player he'd potentially be pairing up alongside in New England long-term. The team already has a stellar run defending safety in Craig Woodson, who earned a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade in the playoffs as a rookie, a rating which led all players at the position during the postseason.

The Patriots brought in Byard, last season's NFL interception leader, to complement Woodson's game, so it would make sense that the player they envision will eventually take over that role would project to excel as a ball hawker. McNeil-Warren has a ton of upside, but New England spending what would likely need to be their first pick of the draft on a player that risks being redundant next to the team's current young starter will ultimately hinge on how confident the front office is in his development.

Zakee Wheatley, Penn State

Wheatley ranks a bit lower than McNeil-Warren on the big board, but he might be a better fit for New England, both in terms of on-field play style and draft value. There's a chance the Penn State product is available when the Patriots are on the clock in the second round at No. 63 overall, allowing them to fill a different need on Day 1 before adding the 6-foot-3, 203-pound defensive back, a strategy they've seemingly considered by reportedly setting up a visit with him.

A rangy, athletic safety, Wheatley finished the 2025 campaign with 74 tackles, two tackles for loss, a pass deflection, and one interception. He received PFF grades of 83.5 in pass coverage and 82.7 against the run. During the 2024 season, he totaled 96 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, four pass breakups, and three picks, while also earning Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP honors after a contest in which he had three tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception.

He's been praised for his versatility playing in multiple alignments and ability to regularly find the football, but noted drawbacks with Wheatley include his relatively advanced age for an incoming rookie at 24 and a need for improvement in pad level while in run support.

Coming into college as a cornerback, he converted to safety following his redshirt freshman season. If Wheatley can fill out his frame a bit and become a more consistent tackler, combining that with his plus coverage skills would set him up for a solid NFL future.

New England's pre-draft due diligence on these two high-caliber safety prospects signals the franchise appears to be seriously contemplating using one of their first two picks to add some youth to the position group.