The New England Patriots' offseason has generally been well-received by fans thus far. The team added Alijah Vera-Tucker to the offensive line, Romeo Doubs to the receiving corps, and Dre'Mont Jones to the defense. Kevin Byard replaced Jaylinn Hawkins at safety, while additions like K.J. Britt and Kindle Vildor supply depth.
Despite a few solid additions, the Patriots also saw key contributors leave the building. Stefon Diggs and Anfernee Jennings were released, while Khyiris Tonga, K'Lavon Chaisson, Jack Gibbens, and Hawkins signed elsewhere.
New England will need to continue to add to their ranks in the 2026 NFL Draft next month as they gear up for another season, especially at edge rusher. That's exactly what they do in this seven-round mock draft following the first two weeks of free agency.
Patriots double dip at EDGE in bold start to this mock draft
Round 1, Pick 31: ED Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Arm length didn't concern Mike Vrabel and Co. last season when they selected Will Campbell with the fourth pick, and given Campbell's solid regular season and Vrabel's confidence in him, I'd expect he'll look through Howell's arm length (sub-31 inches) to see his elite SEC production. Howell finished with 11.5 sacks and a 13.7% pressure rate in 13 games this season. For the third consecutive season, he had a pass rush grade over 90.0, and he had 25 sacks in that time frame.
The Patriots need juice on the edge. As it stands, the team only added Dre'Mont Jones to a group that ranked 22nd in sacks during the regular season, while it also lost K'Lavon Chaisson and Anfernee Jennings. Asking Elijah Ponder or Bradyn Swinson to be major contributors isn't realistic, so investing a first-round pick to fix the problem seems like the ideal solution.
Round 2, Pick 45: ED Gabe Jacas, Illinois
Trade: NE trades Pick 63 (2), Pick 95 (3), and Pick 202 (7) to BAL for Pick 45 (2)
I'm not a huge fan of the Patriots' group of edge defenders as things stand, but if they added both Howell and Jacas, I'd be able to back the group. Despite already taking an edge defender at No. 31, adding another contributor who had 11 sacks in the Big Ten last season could pay major dividends. A captain for the Fighting Illini, Jacas could easily be a first-round pick, and if the Patriots were to select him at No. 31, it would be hard not to be excited. Nonetheless, Pick 45 is a tremendous value.
Jacas showcases tremendous play strength and power. At 260 pounds, he's bigger than Howell, but unlike the A&M product, he isn't nearly as twitchy an athlete. If he can utilize his power in the NFL the way he has in college, however, he could be a weapon next to Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. Harold Landry and Dre'Mont Jones are short-term fixes to a long-term problem, and Jacas, along with Howell, could be the solution.
Round 4, Pick 125: OG Beau Stephens, Iowa
After adding Alijah Vera-Tucker and re-signing Ben Brown during the season, the interior offensive line is in good hands. Nonetheless, Stephens is a value pick in the fourth round. The Iowa guard was a First Team All-American this past season alongside center Logan Jones, not allowing a sack all year. He allowed only 7 pressures, just a 2.8% rate.
PFF graded him to be the nation's third-best guard overall and the best pass blocker, something New England figures to do plenty of for as long as Drake Maye is under center. Whether he succeeds Mike Onwenu after 2026 or remains a backup for his New England career, Stephens would be a worthy selection.
Round 4, Pick 131: OT Nolan Rucci, Penn State
The Patriots nab their second Penn State right tackle in the last three seasons with the selection of Rucci. Morgan Moses will turn 36 next offseason, and the Patriots don't have a surefire replacement for him waiting in the wings.
Caedan Wallace, another ex-Nittany Lion, has shown precious little since being selected 68th in 2024. The team has yet to re-sign Thayer Munford, and while 2025 7th-round pick Marcus Bryant could be an option, we haven't seen him get any meaningful time. The team additionally lost Vederian Lowe to free agency, so depth at the tackle position needs shoring up.
Rucci was a five-star prospect coming out of high school, spending three seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to PSU and immediately starting at right tackle. He allowed a 4.8% pressure rate across two seasons in State College, and standing at 6-foot-8, he could surely add more weight to his frame as he works as the understudy to Moses in his rookie season.
Round 5, Pick 171: WR Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
The A.J. Brown rumors have caught fire once again after reports that the Patriots have a trade in place for the star wide receiver that will occur after June 1 for cap purposes. Regardless of Brown's fate, New England adding an athletic weapon on the outside seems like a worthy move in the fifth round.
The Bearcat spent his first four seasons of college football (one redshirt year) at Lindenwood, totaling 92 catches for 1,751 yards and 22 touchdowns. His final season with the Lions saw him eclipse 1,000 yards. Standing at 6-foot-5 with 4.31 speed, it's easy to understand Caldwell's appeal as a late-round flier. If he can channel his athleticism to be an outside vertical threat, he could be a game-changing player.
In his single season in Ohio, Caldwell had 32 catches for 478 yards and 6 touchdowns. He had a touchdown in each of the last three games and also had 104 yards against Bowling Green earlier in the year. Mack Hollins has been a nice piece to the offense, but he'll be 33 and out of contract next offseason. Finding a potential replacement in Caldwell would be a wise use of a late-round selection.
Round 6, Pick 191: DL Zane Durant, Penn State
Durant was a defensive tackle at Penn State, but I don't think it's unreasonable he moves outside at the next level, should he be selected by New England. Durant is a spectacular athlete, as the combine standout rounded out to be the second-most athletic defensive tackle during this year's scouting combine. He was top-5 in all four events he participated in, including ranking first in both the 40-yard dash and 10-yard split.
With Dre'Mont Jones added as a bigger edge rusher, perhaps Durant could look to back him up. Alternatively, he'd offer competition to push young end-of-roster defensive linemen, like Joshua Farmer and Eric Gregory. Taking a flier on an athletic defensive lineman late in the draft seems like a wise decision.
Round 6, Pick 198: SAF Lorenzo Styles Jr., Ohio State
Kevin Byard was inked to a one-year deal to replace now-Baltimore Raven Jaylinn Hawkins, but the position still needs depth. Beyond Byard and Craig Woodson, there isn't a reliable option. It would be a lot of pressure on Styles to expect him to immediately fill that role, but his athleticism would help him at least compete with Dell Pettus, Mike Brown, and John Saunders Jr. for the third safety role.
Additionally, his 4.28 speed would make him a special teams ace from the jump, especially important given the departures of Alex Austin and Miles Battle to the Miami Dolphins.
Round 6, Pick 212: TE Lake McRee, USC
The Patriots replaced Austin Hooper with Julian Hill this offseason, a former Campbell College and Miami Dolphin who has just 288 yards in three years. Hill is likely to see time as the second tight end immediately, but perhaps McRee could fill that role later on.
He played over half his snaps in-line, something of a rarity for pass-catching tight ends in college. His 30 grabs went for 445 yards and 4 touchdowns, by far his best stat line of his college career. He has a near 64% contested catch rate and averages almost 15 yards per catch, making him a prime candidate to be a successor to Hunter Henry's role as the primary seam threat.
Round 7, Pick 247: CB Ahmari Harvey, Georgia Tech
The Patriots are resetting their cornerback depth this offseason. Zak Kuhr opted for Charles Woods as the fourth option later in the year, and the team subsequently allowed both Alex Austin and Miles Battle to leave for Miami. Kindle Vildor is an experienced player who should have the inside track for the CB4 role, but adding further depth to the position is to be expected.
Harvey played almost exclusively as a wide cornerback for the Yellow Jackets this season, as has been the case during his five seasons in Atlanta. He allowed just a 44.1% completion rate this year for just 168 yards and no touchdowns. He has the size to hold up in the run game, and in the biggest game of the year against Georgia, he allowed 1 catch for 3 yards on 4 targets. Selecting Harvey would extend New England's streak of selecting a cornerback on Day 3 to a half-decade.
New England adds three players to bolster their defensive line in this draft, while they begin Day 2 by double dipping on the offensive line. Caldwell offers elite athleticism as a project receiver, while McRee has the potential to succeed Hunter Henry given his pass catching potential. Further, adding Styles and Harvey to the defensive backfield offers depth and special teams value.
In all, the Patriots make nine selections in this mock, and given their free agency being oriented around replacing lost talent, looking to add quantity in the draft could be expected. The combination of Howell and Jacas at the top of the draft could help New England get over the hump in 2026, and if the staff agrees, they should do everything in their power to nab a pair of top-50 edge defenders.