The New England Patriots will enter free agency with major holes to fill in Phase II of Mike Vrabel's rebuild. The team overachieved wonderfully in 2025, reaching not only the playoffs but the Super Bowl, before their Cinderella-like golden carriage turned into a pumpkin.
Now the Patriots are on to 2026, and mock drafts are rife. Pro Football Focus has offered a 3-round mock draft, and it will be evaluated.
The offseasons in the NFL are dedicated to improving at positions of need. If you depart from that overall strategy and buy into the "best player available" model, you may never wind up with a squad that can win a title. You'll miss the boat.
The Patriots have several dire needs this offseason. Their top priorities are to both prevent and produce sacks. They were poor at both in 2025, despite their miraculous climb to the Super Bowl.
Depending on how free agency addresses those needs, the draft is the preferred way to go. Since free agency doesn't begin until March 11, PFF has presented a three-round NFL mock draft for the Patriots, and it's not good.
PFF suggests picks for the Patriots in an early 3-round mock draft
Pro Football Focus has suggested a 3-round mock draft for the Patriots in April. All selections were in accordance with the team's needs. But they prioritized a guard over a tackle in the first round, a misallocation of draft capital, and a risky proposition at best.
The last time the Patriots selected a first-round guard, Cole Strange in 2022, it was a disaster. Now on to who they selected with those picks.
Round 1, Pick No. 31, G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
In the first round, PFF selects Emmananuel Pregnon, a 6'5", 318-pound guard from Oregon. The Patriots will likely move last year's starting left guard, Jared Wilson, to center in 2026. That means they'll have a huge hole to fill beside Will Campbell there. Pregnon can certainly fill that as PFF notes.
"While much of the post-Super Bowl narrative was about whether left tackle Will Campbell will kick inside to guard, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel seems clear in that he views him as his left tackle. If that is the case, then New England could use Pregnon, who earned PFF pass-blocking and run-blocking grades above 85.0 in 2025."
The Patriots need at least two guards this offseason, and they may also consider trading or restructuring Michael Onwenu's contract; they may need three. The first suggestion would be to add a free agent, such as David Edwards of Buffalo. He'll slot right into Wilson's left guard spot and give Campbell much-needed help.
Pregnon can be the first backup, and if Onwenu is traded or released, after next season, when his cap situation is more favorable, he can step into the right guard position seamlessly as an immediate.
Though those are positives and guard is a definite need, a tackle would have been preferable, especially in the first round, where taking a guard not of the pedigree of a John Hannah or Zack Martin, etc., is a mistake.
Round 2, Pick No. 63, EDGE Joshua Josephs, Tennessee
After the offensive line, the New England Patriots have no greater need than the edge. The team's sack issues are mammoth. On offense, they surrendered too many, and on defense, they garnered too few.
Both have to be remediated if they are to have any chance of repeating their brilliant 2025 season. PFF selected edge, Joshua Josephs of Tennessee, in the second round.
PFF's positional choice is spot on, but the player they chose is iffy. His 2025 production was lackluster, with only four sacks and six tackles for loss. Yet he did manage three passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Those, at least, are playmakers' stats.
NFL Draft Buzz offers this in their scouting report on the 6'3", 240-pound Volunteer.
"Watch him play and you see an edge defender whose athletic profile makes coordinators drool. The combination of 4.6ish speed, 34-plus inch arms, and an 80+ inch wingspan creates a physical package that should translate immediately as a situational pass rusher at the next level.
He wins with quickness and length off the snap, and his hand timing has improved markedly over the past two seasons. Tennessee deployed him primarily as a designated pass rusher for good reason, and NFL teams would be wise to follow that blueprint initially. Here's the deal with Josephs: he's going to need time to develop into a complete three-down player."
One of the Patriots' greatest defensive needs is sacks. Joseph's four in 2025 are not what the doctor ordered. The position, edge was spot on, but the player PFF selected wasn't. The Patriots need edge help now, and not a developmental type. The choice should have gone somewhere else. PFF got the position right, but chose the wrong player.
Round 3, Pick No. 95, WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
PFF got back on the right track with their third selection for the Patriots. The team has Stefon Diggs as their No. 1 receiver, but he may be a cap casualty. So seeking a true No. 1 is helpful if Diggs stays around, but a necessity if he's sent packing. PFF goes back to the Vols with the third-round pick and selects Chris Brazell II, a big wide receiver with solid stats and potential.
NFL.com's Overview of the 6'5", 200-pound receiver looks promising.
"Long-limbed “Z” receiver with the ability to create downfield for an offense thirsty to make more explosive plays outside. Brazzell’s 2025 tape shows the game slowing down for him, allowing the production to catch up with the traits. He builds to speed with long strides and dominates above the rim. He’s adept at using length and body control to capture air space against cornerbacks. He’s a more competent route runner than most field-stretcher types, but he needs to become more physical on contested targets underneath.
Brazzell didn’t see many in-your-face press challenges this past season, but he’s likely to get an early taste of it as a pro. Two-high shells and zone-heavy looks can shrink his snap-to-snap impact, but the quick-strike potential is real."
Brazzell had a breakout season for Tennessee in 2025. He caught 62 passes for 1017 yards and nine touchdowns. He'd certainly be a great red zone threat at his height. He's a big-play receiver who averaged 16.4 yards per catch last season. With Drake Maye's ability to heave the long ball, he'll be a great target if he's brought on board. It's a nice pick.
That's the review of PFF's three-round mock draft as it impacted the Patriots. To summarize, it was decent positionally. They picked three positions of the Patriots' need. Yet, taking a guard rather than a tackle in the first round was a major gaffe.
Guards are commodities that can be had much later in the draft and should rarely be first or even second-round picks.
They took the right position in the second round, an edge. But selecting an edge who garnered just four sacks with a second-round pick for a sack-needy team was another gaffe. Then in the third round, they took a big, productive wide receiver who could be a find.
Overall, they get a C- grade. It wasn't a total disaster, but it was greatly flawed. If this is the Patriots' real draft, it will be a major disappointment.