The New England Patriots are finalizing their strategies for the 2026 NFL Draft, prompting predictions for their draft class. This mock draft aims to forecast potential selections for the team.
Key points
New England Patriots preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft
Mock draft predictions being made
Max Iheanachor mentioned as a potential pick
Max IheanachorNew England PatriotsNFL Draft
Arizona State Sun Devils offensive lineman Max Iheanachor
Arizona State Sun Devils offensive lineman Max Iheanachor
The New England Patriots are putting the finishing touches on their preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft, which means it is time for us to start tossing some predictions out there in hopes to get at least a few right so we can brag about how smart we are over the coming months -- or something like that.
NESN gave us five tries at getting this thing right, with our stories dropping on March 23, March 30, April 6, April 13, and April 20. I'll set out new rules for each crack at it, with the final edition of our series coming under these restrictions: try to get the thing right.
Q&A
What are the predictions for the New England Patriots' 2026 draft class?
The mock draft outlines various potential selections for the Patriots as they prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Who is Max Iheanachor and why is he mentioned in the Patriots' mock draft?
Max Iheanachor is an offensive lineman from Arizona State, included in the mock draft as a potential target for the Patriots.
What is the significance of the 2026 NFL Draft for the New England Patriots?
The 2026 NFL Draft is crucial for the Patriots as they look to enhance their roster and build for future success.
When is the 2026 NFL Draft scheduled to take place?
The exact date for the 2026 NFL Draft has not been specified yet, but it typically occurs in late April.
Related Articles
Sports
OK State lands top transfer Crooks from ISU
Top transfer Audi Crooks commits to Oklahoma State from Iowa State
ESPN News··1 min read
Soccer·Transfer
Ben Jacobs makes Chelsea transfer target claim ahead of massive summer
Chelsea aims for young talents this summer despite fan demands for experience.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Soccer·Preview
2026 K League 1 Round 9 Preview
Preview for K League 1 Round 9: Key matchups and insights
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Harlow Town FC comes out of administration
Harlow Town FC is out of administration after a takeover.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
He's finally back! Liverpool midfielder returns at last
Liverpool midfielder finally back after injury woes!
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
Los Magic dan en Detroit la primera campanada de los playoffs
Los Magic logran una victoria sorprendente sobre los Pistons en los playoffs
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
Let's go!
2026 NFL Draft (Mock 5.0)
TRADE! (ARI receives No. 31; NE receives No. 34, 104 and 183)
No. 34: OT Max Iheanachor (Arizona State)
Iheanachor straddles the line between that of a first-round pick and a second-round pick, with positional value doing the majority of the heavy lifting.
The Patriots likely wouldnât risk trading back, especially if they consider the need at offensive tackle big enough to address it with an early-round pick, but the board sat nicely and it was obvious that we wouldnât get spurned trying to finagle things. Iheanachorâs addition alongside some added draft capital helped influence our next few moves.
TRADE! (GB receives No. 63, 131, and 191; NE receives No. 52)
No. 52: EDGE Gabe Jacas (Illinois)
âWe could complement our room with some speed. I think thatâs evident.â
New England executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf pointed in a different direction with his words last week, but the guys who could have added that element (UCF's Malachi Lawrence, Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas, Texas A&M's Cashius Howell) were all off the board by our second pick, so we pivoted and took the best available pass-rusher left. If they aren't comfortable with the current options, this guy could help pick up the slack on early downs, as well.
No. 95: WR De'Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss)
Stribling is the pick at wide receiver. I've now tripled down, so it would be a tough look if they pass him up in the third round.
TRADE! (GB receives No. 104; NE receives No. 120 and 131)
No. 120: LB Keyshaun Elliott (Arizona State)
Elliott has met with the organization on three separate occasions, so it's rather difficult seeing him end up anywhere else. Pittsburgh's Kyle Louis and LSU's Harold Perkins Jr. are options earlier, but if they want to wait a bit, this seems like the obvious choice.
No. 125: TE Eli Raridon (Notre Dame)
Raridon is quite literally one of the best athletes (4.62 forty-yard dash at 245 pounds) in the entire draft, and has an elite trait (blocking) that will make him useful early in his career. New England needs to develop someone behind Hunter Henry, and there are no better options in the fourth round.
No. 131: S VJ Payne (Kansas State)
Payne projects as the exact kind of player who would be better off for sitting and learning during the first couple of years of his career -- say, behind a guy like Kevin Byard.
No. 171: IOL Anez Cooper (Miami)
The Patriots need another body behind Mike Onwenu (entering the final year of his deal), Jared Wilson (making a position change after an up-and-down rookie season), and Alijah Vera-Tucker (has missed more games than he has played in the last three seasons).
Cooper can be that guy.
No. 183: RB Kaelon Black (Indiana)
RB3. It's a need and they've met with this young man.
No. 198: TE Dallan Bentley (Utah)
Bentley projects as more of a... project. New England could use bodies at the position, though.
No. 202: QB Joe Fagnano (UConn)
Fagnano can throw the football, which fits the requirements of what the organization needs for training camp.
No. 212: WR Barion Brown (LSU)
Brown likely wouldn't contribute much of anything offensively, but he's a damn good kick returner. New England would be better off for having someone that can lock that position down, especially after cycling through options during the latter half of the season.
No. 247: P Brett Thorson (Georgia)
Thorson is one of many decent options in the draft, though we don't actually expect them to draft someone. The Patriots do, however, need to add some competition at the position after a rough campaign from Bryce Baringer.
Summary
I'd imagine that the goal heading into this week will be adding options at several different positions, so we only double-dipped twice.
The Patriots would be smart to leverage the amount of picks they have to move around, which starts with addressing the two biggest positions of need while also covering their own behinds in case they aren't able to trade for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
