Karen Guregian: Eliot Wolf says 2026 draft ‘isn’t great’ but Patriots still need to deliver

Q: What did Eliot Wolf say about the 2026 draft talent?

Eliot Wolf stated that the 2026 draft 'probably isn’t great' compared to past drafts.

Q: Why does Eliot Wolf believe the Patriots need to deliver in the 2026 draft?

Wolf believes that despite the draft's perceived lack of talent, the Patriots still need to select good players to fill their positions of need.

Q: How does the 2026 draft compare to previous drafts according to Eliot Wolf?

Wolf indicated that the 2026 draft does not measure up to past standards in terms of overall talent.

Q: What positions do the Patriots need to address in the 2026 draft?

While specific positions were not detailed, Wolf emphasized the importance of selecting players to fill the team's needs.

FOXBOROUGH - Compared to past standards, Eliot Wolf is admittedly not a fan of the overall talent in this draft.

He said looking at it historically, “this draft probably isn’t great.”

Listening to draft pundits during the course of the past few months, Wolf, who had a pre-draft press conference Monday at the New Balance Athletics Center, isn’t alone in that assessment. He’s spot on.

But just because the draft might not be stacked multiple rounds deep in talent across the board doesn’t mean the Patriots can’t select good players in positions of need.

There isn’t much choice if they want to take the next step. They have to deliver.

Outside of last year’s haul, which yielded a number of starters, the Patriots were guilty of having too many years of draft flops and failures.

They’ve have complete draft years turn out to be busts.

They can’t fall back into that pit.

To keep the momentum rolling, and keep the Patriots in the playoff conversation with contender status each year, it behooves them to make the most out of this year’s crop.

Their evaluators have to be on their ‘A’ game and find all the games.

On that front, Wolf concurred.

“If we do our job and we do everything right, we’re going to be able to get a good player with every pick, and that’s our intention,” he said. “I feel that way about every draft. No matter what happens, there are always avenues and ways to improve the team.”

For starters, the Patriots need to improve their tackle depth on the offensive line. Backup swing tackle Vederian Lowe signed elsewhere as a free agent, while backup Thayer Mumford remains a free agent.

So there’s little behind Will Campbell and Morgan Moses to support the position, and insure that Drake Maye’s blind side is protected.

Moses turned 35 in March so finding his backup and eventual replacement sits near the top of the list.

After tackle, they need at least one starting caliber edge rusher, preferably two. They need to draft impact players at that position. While they signed Dre’Mont Jones, they lost K’Lavon Chaisson, and let Anfernee Jennings go. Harold Landry is also coming off knee surgery. So the cupboard is thin.

They also need a No. 2 pass-catching tight end, along with linebacker, safety and defensive tackle depth. And, if a trade for A.J. Brown doesn’t materialize, wide receiver remains a position that needs to be addressed.

Wolf pointed out some of the better positions in the draft in his view. The Patriots will also factor in players on expiring contracts (Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Hunter Henry, Mike Onwenu, Kevin Byard) and bolstering those positions.

“I think it’s a pretty strong draft on the offensive and defensive line,” he said. “Secondary, maybe not as much. Receiver and tight end are pretty good in comparison to some of the recent years. So, we’re excited about some of these opportunities, and there are some matchups to some positions of need for us.”

It was interesting to hear Wolf say he believes the team as presently constituted is better than the one that took the field in the Super Bowl.

That’s debatable. They’ve upgraded in areas (safety, offensive line), but losses in the front seven have weakened the defensive unit.

And while this isn’t one of the better drafts, the Patriots should still be able to find players that match their needs. The strength of the draft is right in the Patriots wheelhouse.

So if they need to move up the board in the first round, or any of the early rounds to get the desired player, they absolutely have to make that happen.

“We’re open to anything. Whatever way we can possibly improve the team, we’re open to,” Wolf said. “We have 11 picks. Most of those are kind of later in the draft, but we do have some flexibility with those 11 picks.

“I think it’ll depend a little bit on how the board falls. If we view that there’s a player that whether he’s falling or there’s somebody that we think we need to go get, we’ll be open to those opportunities.”

Being open is one thing. Actually carrying out the mission is another.

If there’s a player the Patriots want, who they believe will make the team better at a key position, there should be no hesitation.

Make the move.