It’s fair for fans to look at the New England Patriots’ 2026 draft class with cautious optimism. While the team’s early-round aggression to land two targeted players at clear positions of need was great to see, the team ended up making nine total selections, and six of them came beyond pick No. 170 overall.
How much this year’s draft class truly impacts the 2026 roster remains to be seen. The majority of the Patriots’ rookies, including early-round picks Caleb Lomu and Gabe Jacas, will likely enter OTAs with the second unit. The most playing time out of the chute may end up going to tantalizing third-round tight end Eli Raridon, who appears poised to replace Austin Hooper in the No. 2 tight end role.
The Patriots used their Day 3 picks to shore up roster depth, adding developmental prospects at cornerback, offensive tackle, quarterback, linebacker, and running back.
They noticeably passed on drafting a wide receiver for the first time since 2020, and as reporter Chad Graff of The Athletic wrote this week, that included no clear upgrade at a somewhat hidden problem area for the Patriots last season — kickoff returner.
New England ranked 22nd in the NFL in kickoff return average following Antonio Gibson’s season-ending injury, per Graff, and the team surprisingly passed on addressing that during the major roster-building phase of the offseason.
“Second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson is likely the best option, but if he takes on an increased role on offense, they probably wouldn’t want to subject him to more hits as a kick returner,” Graff wrote. “That likely leaves second-year receivers Kyle Williams and Efton Chism as the top options. If Chism can win that battle, it would go a long way toward securing his place on the 53-man roster.”
The Patriots’ kickoff return battle could matter more than anyone expects
Fans flocking to Foxboro this summer to catch the Patriots’ public training camp practices will obviously have eyes glued on quarterback Drake Maye (and hopefully wide receiver A.J. Brown). Few people are carving out a prime spot in the bleachers to watch the special teams drills, though.
How the team’s kickoff return group looks will definitely be worth fans’ attention during the preseason games this summer. Efton Chism, then an undrafted rookie, wound up leading the team in attempts with 16, but he never looked comfortable in the role and averaged just 23.9 yards per return. His long of 31 yards ranked fifth on the team.
Second-year receiver Kyle Williams will probably enter training camp as the main option after handling 11 kickoffs and averaging 26.4 yards per return. Running back Terrell Jennings could be a wild-card. He only returned two kickoffs, but one of them went for a 39-yard gain. He'll be competing with seventh-round rookie Jam Miller and others for the Patriots' No. 3 running back spot, a job that often requires a heavy lift on special teams.
The Patriots have one of the NFL’s most feared punt returners in Marcus Jones. With a tougher 2026 schedule on tap, those hidden yards in the box score could make a major difference.
Head coach Mike Vrabel and company better hope they have the right personnel to match Jones' prowess in the kickoff return game, as the team can't afford its 2025 struggles to continue in that area.
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