The mystery of who the New England Patriots will pick with their first-round selection (No. 31) will soon be over, as the 2026 NFL Draft is finally here. There has been a lot of discussion about what their best decision would be, with most analysts and fans agreeing they should take a top offensive tackle prospect or a pass rusher.
For much of the offseason, everything that Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf have done points in that direction, but we won't know until they're finally on the clock.
There's a chance they shock everyone and take the best player available that doesn't play either of those positions, as draft expert Daniel Jeremiah did in his final mock draft.
Not only did he pick a player who hasn't been connected to the Patriots whatsoever, but he also chose a cornerback to join a crowded secondary, emphasizing the luxury New England has to go for the best talent left on the board rather than prioritizing need.
The problem is that Patriots fans are unlikely to approve of that decision, no matter how impressive a prospect he is.
Patriots fans would be far from excited to see their first-round pick being a cornerback
For his final, and last-minute, mock draft of the offseason, NFL.com's leading draft expert has the Patriots picking San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.
He is the seventh-ranked cornerback by Pro Football Focus after an impressive 2025 season, allowing just a 16.1 passer rating for opposing quarterbacks in 11 games.
He would certainly be a great addition, just as Jeremiah says in his explanation, but cornerback is far from a position that needs to be addressed this early, and it could lead to a bigger disaster in the later rounds because of that.
"The Patriots can afford to take the best prospect available here. They have quality players at cornerback, but they’re going to have to pay Christian Gonzalez (rookie deal expires after 2027 season) and they’re already paying Carlton Davis III.
Johnson gives them a younger, cheaper option to eventually replace Davis, and this San Diego State product is versatile enough to line up at multiple spots in the secondary, perhaps even at safety."
What makes this pick far more interesting and why fans shouldn't necessarily turn their nose up at the idea is the fact that Johnson is versatile enough to potentially play safety. That's a weaker position for the Patriots right now and long-term, so the fact that Johnson could fill a role there immediately is intriguing.
On top of that, of course, is the idea of him fulfilling what Jeremiah suggested, as he could eventually become the younger and cheaper option in place of Carlton Davis. That's difficult to argue against, but it wouldn't be out of line for fans to still think their first-rounder should've been used differently.
It's a fair concern, particularly since this year's draft class is not considered among the best in recent years; for that reason alone, it would probably be better for the Patriots to go after their biggest needs.
We'll have to see what they end up doing, and hopefully, they will make a decision that most fans can get excited about, no matter how unlikely that is.
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