The New England Patriots hold the 31st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they'll no doubt need to hit with the selection to return to the Super Bowl in February 2027. While the team still has several needs to address, the most glaring immediate need is on the edge.
The team swapped K'Lavon Chaisson for Dre'Mont Jones as they let the former walk in free agency before inking the former Ohio State Buckeye to a three-year deal. Jones is a more sturdy player and far better than Chaisson against the run, and given Mike Vrabel's success with Denico Autry in Tennessee, another 280-285 pound edge rusher, it seems he prefers size on the edge.
Despite Autry being a potential blueprint for the success fans will hope Jones might have, a recent mock draft has New England selecting a different type of edge defender in the first round.
In AJ Shulte's recent seven-round mock (A to Z Sports), the Patriots opt for Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas at the end of the first round, capitalizing on an injured 2025 season.
R Mason Thomas could be a steal at the end of the first round for the Patriots
Thomas weighed in at just 241 pounds during the NFL Combine, which would make him the slightest of all edge rushers on the roster by some margin. According to ESPN, Harold Landry, who weighs 11 pounds more, would be the next lightest. Size, and more specifically, how he might hold up against the run, is a concern for Thomas.
His missed tackle rate this season, over 17%, isn't catastrophic, but it's also far from good. That's still an improvement over his 27.3% in 2024, but his 2025 season as a whole didn't reach the heights of '24.
A quad injury on a scoop and score against No. 14 Tennessee would keep him out for over a month and a half, as he's missed games against two ranked opponents (No. 4 Alabama and No. 22 Missouri) and LSU. He'd play in only 9 games, but would still manage 6.5 sacks.
In 2024, however, Thomas recorded 9 sacks in 12 games. He finished with a three-sack game against Tulane, but also got on the stat sheet with sacks against ranked opponents Tennessee, Alabama, and Missouri, as well as LSU.
If Thomas had stayed healthy, there's reason to believe his '25 performance would have been his best yet. He had as many stops in three fewer games, more hurries, and a comparable pressure rate. If New England can land Thomas, they may be able to fix their most glaring issue immediately through the 21-year-old.