2026 marked the ninth consecutive season during which the New England Patriots made more selections in the draft than there are rounds. Six of their nine selections came on Day 3, the first of which was Wake Forest's Karon Prunty in the fifth round.
Looking at the Patriots' depth chart, certain positions stick out as being more open competitions than others. While it's a given that their first three selections will be on the roster, making the team as a Day 3 pick tends to be more of an uphill battle.
Prunty has strong odds of making the team given the state of cornerback depth, while Dametrious Crownover's size puts him in a strong position to make the team as a depth piece along the offensive line. Namdi Obiazor was New England's Day 3 linebacker selection after Eliot Wolf raved about the draft's depth at the second level.
It won't be a cakewalk by any means for Behren Morton, but with the addition of the emergency QB3 role in 2023, there's certainly a strong chance he makes the roster. The final two players, both selected in the seventh round, have the most difficult paths, as would be expected.
Quintayvious Hutchins has a difficult path to make the Patriots' roster
Of all the players the Patriots selected this year, Alabama running back Jam Miller and Boston College edge defender Quintayvious Hutchins have the hardest paths to make the team. Given Miller's athleticism and the largely unknown running back depth to this point, Hutchins takes the crown as the least likely player to make the team among those selected in 2026.
The edge defender position has been the subject of the most scrutiny this offseason, and even so, Hutchins making the team looks to be an uphill battle. Harold Landry and Dre'Mont Jones are the starters, while Elijah Ponder, who was a UDFA from Cal Poly just a season ago, will be the top backup.
While second-round selection Gabe Jacas was originally pegged for the role, he's yet to sign his rookie contract. Last season, first-round pick Shemar Stewart signed his contract on July 26 after months of controversy. Mike Reiss reported that Jacas had more injuries than New England realized, thus potentially sidelining him for some or all of the 2026 season.
With Jacas out, 2025 fifth-round selection Bradyn Swinson stepped up during the spring after a quiet rookie season. After leading LSU in both sacks and TFLs during the 2024 season, he spent most of the year on the practice squad before being elevated towards the end of the year. He primarily played special teams.
The Patriots also signed Jesse Luketa, a former Penn State edge defender who spent 2025 on the Rams' practice squad. He had 21 tackles and 3 sacks in 2024 with the Cardinals and played a core role on special teams.
Despite the likely loss of Jacas for the preseason at minimum, Hutchins would appear to be the sixth edge defender on the depth chart as things stand.
Hutchins' selection in the 2026 NFL Draft was somewhat confusing
Hutchins was a somewhat puzzling selection, despite being a late addition in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. Across four seasons at BC, he managed only 5.5 sacks despite playing 95.6% of his snaps on the defensive line. His missed tackle rate in 2025 was just 7.7%, a strong figure, but given his Combine weight of 233 pounds, it seems unlikely he'll be able to hold up against NFL linemen.
Additionally, Next Gen Stats rated Hutchins' athleticism as a 53/99, while his Relative Athletic Score was a 5.15 out of 10. Hutchins did average 110 special teams snaps over four seasons, but that doesn't necessarily give him an edge if he's unable to play his position at a high level.
The Patriots lost north of 1,000 special teams snaps with the departures of Jack Gibbens, Jahlani Tavai, and Marte Mapu. Rather than Hutchins, the likes of K.J. Britt, Chad Muma, and the aforementioned Obiazor seem more likely to claim those special teams roles.
Additionally, fellow edge rushers Swinson and Luketa, along with cornerbacks Kobee Minor and Marcellas Dial, seem more likely to claim roles as core special teamers than Hutchins.
On top of a difficult push to make the squad, Hutchins has a court date on August 28 stemming from a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery on a family/household member.
While Day 3 rookies often have difficult paths when looking to crack the final 53-man roster, Hutchins' path to make the 53 looks especially difficult, all things considered.
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