Over the last two seasons under Mike Vrabel, the Patriots have made 20 draft picks, and in 2025, they rostered 14 rookies at once. The staff has an affinity for young players, and that affinity has resulted in strong production.
In 2025, we saw Will Campbell and Jared Wilson both start, TreVeyon Henderson eclipse 1,100 total yards, Kyle Williams show flashes as a premier deep threat, and Craig Woodson shine as a starting safety.
This year, players like Gabe Jacas and Eli Raridon will have the opportunity to make an impact immediately, while Caleb Lomu will wait in the wings for 2027.
We're eight months away from the 2027 NFL Draft, but scouts are already looking for the next great NFL players, and the Patriots will have the chance to add some of their own with the nine selections they currently hold.
Patriots add to front seven and trenches in way-too-early three-round 2027 mock draft
Round 1, Pick 23: ED Quincy Rhodes Jr., Arkansas
The Patriots added Dre'Mont Jones to the edge this offseason, but he turns 30 in January. Harold Landry had an injury-ridden end to his 2025 season, and unless he can turn things around in 2026, you'd expect the $14.5 million in cap savings from his release at the end of this year would be enough to bid him adieu.
Given that he's on PUP at the time of writing, his eventual release seems a reasonable guess.
Jones, along with Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder, is an okay group at best. Rhodes would help quell the team's pass-rushing woes and offer a young one-two punch with Jacas. At 6-foot-4 and 273 pounds, he has the size Vrabel looks for in edge defenders. He had 7.0 sacks in the SEC last season, and he's a top candidate to hit double digits in 2026.
Round 2, Pick 55: LB Chris Cole, Georgia
Christian Elliss, Chad Muma, and K.J. Britt will all be free agents at the end of the year, and Robert Spillane turns 31 in December. Khalil Jacobs has received some early hype, and Namdi Obiazor has solid athleticism. Even if one of the rookies can develop into a legitimate starter, the team should consider adding a linebacker early.
The run defense collapsed when Milton Williams and Spillane missed time in 2025, and selecting Cole would ensure that doesn't happen again. The Bulldog had a missed tackle rate of just 7.4% in 2025, even lower than his All-American teammate and Colts 2026 second-round pick, C.J. Allen.
He finished 2025 with 60 tackles and 4.5 sacks with a 16.2% pressure rate. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, they'd likely want to see him add weight, but Cole looks to be a player with strong upside.
Round 3, Pick 87: OG Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati
The Patriots have made renovating their offensive line a priority over the past two seasons, but I wouldn't expect that trend to stop come the 2027 offseason. The restructuring of Mike Onwenu's contract likely means he won't be with the team after this season, meaning they'll need to fill the void at right guard.
They may opt to add a starter in free agency, but even if they do, selecting a player like Tengesdahl in the top 100 would provide quality depth for Alijah Vera-Tucker, who missed 42 of 85 games with the Jets due to injury.
Tengesdahl started all 13 games at left guard for the Bearcats in 2025, allowing a 2.7% pressure rate and no sacks. He finished the year with an 85.4 overall PFF grade, an 89.7 pass-blocking grade, and a 77.5 run-blocking grade. In his 127 snaps in 2024, he played both guard spots and center.
At 6-foot-3, 323 pounds, Tengesdahl offers superior size to the other options in this range on the draft board, something both Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels seem to value given their power running play style.
Add us as a preferred source on Google