Eventual Morgan Moses replacement picked in Patriots 2026 mock draft

The New England Patriots have multiple moves they could make with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and that includes selecting an offensive tackle in the first round for a second consecutive year.

Morgan Moses was a solid veteran contributor at right tackle last season, but at 35 years old, the Patriots have to be realistic about the future at the position. There also isn't enough depth at offensive tackle for the team to feel completely comfortable moving forward with an aging player at that position.

It would make more sense for the team to find a suitable No. 2 option to learn behind Moses and eventually take up the mantle as the starter. In a recent mock draft, ESPN's Mina Kimes and The Athletic's Dane Brugler settled on the Patriots taking Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with the No. 31 pick.

“Morgan Moses isn’t getting any younger. I’ll go Iheanachor," said Brugler. "He’s your right tackle of the future. You’ve got Will Campbell, who they still hope is the left tackle of the future. Iheanachor is still raw. He started playing the sport five years ago, and there's gonna be bumps along the road. But the talent that he brings, the movement skills, the way that he finishes, the physicality—I’ll bet on that.”

A clip of Patriots coach Mike Vrabel being hands-on with Iheanachor during a workout at Arizona State's pro day went viral back in March.

Granted, the team still needs help at edge defender, linebacker, tight end and wide receiver. But the ultimate goal is still creating stability along the offensive front so that quarterback Drake Maye has time to operate in the pocket.