There was a lot of excitement revolving around the Patriots going into the 2026 NFL Draft, as last year's class went on to be one of the best groups in several years. Every player went on to start in a game and make an impact in one way or another, so there was a lot of optimism that Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf would have the same success this time around.
Based on the initial reactions from analysts and fans, it would be fair to say the consensus is that it wasn't as successful as some draft picks were considered reaches, and others were deemed complete misses.
The problem is that draft experts, like ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL.com's Chad Reuter, do not agree, and they award the Patriots high marks for their selections, completely discrediting the ongoing discontent among fans and local writers.
Although the experts aren't the end-all, be-all on the situation, their opinions carry a bit more weight, given that they know the draft class far better than any random person. That immediately makes it more difficult to take severe criticism of this year's draft class seriously.
Draft experts are much higher on the Patriots' 2026 draft class than fans are
While awarding grades and explanations for every team in the league, Kiper gave the Patriots a B for their class, praising them for hitting every roster weakness and even shouting out their choice of tight end Eli Raridon, who he referred to as "one of [his] guys" in this year's draft.
Reuter shared a similar reaction, giving the Patriots a B+ for their choices. He was particularly fond of cornerback Karon Prunty, despite many initial reactions calling him a reach, and offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover, who he believes will be a solid depth piece for the offensive line.
Their explanations are a far cry from what fans and local writers have been saying in the days since the draft concluded, as many were unimpressed with their choices and feel they missed big opportunities for better talent.
To be fair, there was a similar feeling with several picks in 2025, but they went on to prove the scouting staff knew what they were talking about, and they impressed with their performances throughout their rookie season.
The hope is we'll see the same thing happen this year, and based on Kiper's and Reuter's reactions, they appear to be equipped to do so; we'll just have to wait to see how they look this summer before coming to any conclusions.
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