Mock draft season is underway, and Pro Football Focus (PFF), the pre-eminent analysts, have taken another shot at a perfect three-round draft haul for the New England Patriots. With the draft only about eight weeks away, it's certainly timely.
Even closer is free agency, and how an NFL team acts there will have a major impact on their draft plans. Regardless, PFF has the Patriots taking an edge, a tight end, and a center with their first three picks.
When evaluating any mock draft, the prime objective should be how it meets an NFL team's needs. If a team uses high picks to fill positions that aren't of true need, they'll miss the boat unless they've filled them all in free agency, an unlikely eventuality.
The Patriots' top needs were on full display in the Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks. They exposed the offensive line's propensity to surrender six sacks. They also limited the Patriots to one sack.
If any playing concept has to be in focus for the Patriots in the 2026 offseason, it has to be both preventing sacks and producing sacks.
PFF hits two needy positions in their mock draft for the Patriots
Hitting positions of need is paramount and PFF does that - to an extent. The extent is whether they hit the most important need in their draft early on. With their first pick, they hit one of the top two needs right on the nose.
PFF explains their latest attempt at a 3-round mock draft for the Patriots.
"New England Patriots: EDGE T.J. Parker, TE Max Klare, C Jake Slaughter
The Patriots could certainly boost their edge rusher room via free agency, but adding another competitive option via the draft would also be logical. Parker’s pass-rush productivity (15.5% pass-rush win rate) would be coveted in a unit that was the worst in the league for pass-rush win rate last season...
New England could look to find another tight end if Austin Hooper exits in free agency, and Klare (85.6 PFF receiving grade in 2024) fits the team’s 12 personnel identity. Staying on offense, center could be a position of upgrade after Garrett Bradbury underperformed. Slaughter could be developed into a future starter."
Clemson's edge, T.J. Parker, their first-round pick, has sack credentials. Whether they are good enough for a first-round pick is questionable. Parker only had five sacks in 2025, not exactly a haul. He did recover three fumbles, however.
More positively, he notched 11.5 sacks in 2024. Yet, if your objective is sack production, he's lacking for a first-round pick.
PFF adds a tight end and a center on Day 2 of the Draft
In the second round, PFF also addresses an ancillary need position, tight end. Yet, two other positions, offensive tackle and guard, are more needy. While adding a young tight end, PFF still waits to address the OT spot here on Day 2. They do select a solid, tight end, though, in Max Klare of Ohio State.
The 6'5", 243-pound Klare had a nice season for the Buckeyes with 43 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns. While they're not overwhelming stats, they show promise and his 10.4 yards per catch indicate he's a first-down maker. It's a solid pick, at a secondary position of need that becomes nearly primary if, as expected, Austin Hooper leaves in free agency.
With their third-round pick, PFF has the Patriots selecting a center, Jake Slaughter of Florida. This pick makes little sense.
First, the Patriots' releasing their 2025 starting center, Garrett Bradbury, saves about $5M in cap space, which moves last season's right guard, Jared Wilson, to center. They have also re-signed Ben Brown, who can play both center and guard. They miss the boat here. They still need that offensive tackle and a guard, as well.
Grading PFF's draft, they seem to have hit at least two positions of need in edge and tight end. For that, they get credit, but drafting a center in the third round is not optimizing that premium pick. They also selected an edge who only had five 2025 sacks, their greatest defensive need.
Klare is their best pick, yet omitting an offensive tackle is a costly omission. They could have and should have done much better.