The New England Patriots, like all NFL teams, have been meeting with prospective draftees. The Patriots have several positions that still require additions. Protecting quarterback Drake Maye should be Job 1 for Mike Vrabel and his personnel operation.
Pats Pulpit has listed the players who have been contacted by the Patriots in a look at what prospective draftees have been spoken with thus far by position.
They've met with more defensive edge players, interior defensive linemen, and interior offensive linemen than any other position. All of those positions are among the Patriots' 2026 offseason needs, and others need to be addressed.
The trick in all of this is to try to discern whether the team is putting up a smokescreen around some positions and players, or whether they are really going to center their efforts on them. To some extent, it's a shell game, with teams sometimes bringing in players they'll really consider drafting and others to merely keep teams who'll be drafting ahead of them in the dark about their real intentions.
The Patriots have had top-30 visits with a list of players at a variety of positions
In a Pats Pulpit article, the Patriots' meetings and contacts with prospective draftees have been comprehensively highlighted. They are led by the edge players with 15, the interior defensive line with 11, the interior offensive line with 11, nine at wide receiver, eight at cornerback, and seven at linebacker and tight end.
All of these, except cornerback, are real needs at specific positions. Interestingly, one major offseason need, offensive tackle, has had only four contacts.
Only the edge and the wide receiver have had two visits. While the team still has up to another 21 visits allowed, thus far, it seems that edge and wide receiver, two of the team's top needs, are leading the way as they should. Yet the contacts tell another, maybe a different, story.
There, both the interior offensive and defensive lines are getting a lot of attention, along with the edge and receiver.
The most troubling aspect of all the Patriots' cataloged draft activity thus far, though it's still relatively early, is the dearth of contacts and visits with offensive tackles. They've had only four contacts and one visit there. That position is, without a doubt, one of the most necessary on the team to restock.
The starting tackles are left tackle Will Campbell, who had injury issues in 2025 that impacted his play, and 35-year-old right tackle Morgan Moses. Behind them is almost nothing.
The Patriots will ignore the offensive tackle and guard positions at their peril and that of their most prized asset, their MVP-level quarterback, Drake Maye. They have thus far neglected to significantly add to the tackle position in free agency, though they did add free agent tackle James Hudson, a controversial addition.
They still need to address the tackle position high in the draft, maybe with either their first- or second-round pick, to add youth and talent to the depth at the position.
The Patriots, like all NFL teams, are conducting due diligence ahead of the all-important NFL draft, which begins on April 30th. Job 1 for the team should always be to bolster the offensive line, which surrendered far too many sacks in 2025, with more and better players. Failure to do so puts the entire season at risk.
Thus far, they have had relatively little contact with and meetings with offensive tackles. Hopefully, it's a smokescreen masking their real intent.