**4. Linebacker:** Even though the linebacker position was a pleasant surprise in 2025, it will look quite different in 2026. Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss are still around as veteran starter-caliber options, but Jack Gibbens, Jahlani Tavai and Marte Mapu are all gone. The Patriots do have six total âbackers on their roster at the moment, but with all of them better special teamers than defender at least one if not more LBs joining the mix on draft weekend is the expected outcome. Eliot Wolf hinted at the Patriots seeing Day 3 as an area to bolster the position.
**5. Wide receiver:** The wide receive position will remain in the spotlight after the draft thanks to the trade rumors surrounding A.J. Brown and the fact that Kayshon Boutte is supposedly on the trade block. For now, however, we can only judge the need by what is available. And that is a position group that performed generally well in 2025 and opted to replace Stefon Diggs with free agency pickup Romeo Doubs. With Doubs in the mix, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas still around as well, and potential Year 2 jumps from Kyle Williams and Efton Chism, receiver is not as big a need as the interest in Brown might make it look like.
**6. Interior defensive line:** Milton Williams and Christian Barmore are as disruptive an interior duo as there is in the NFL, but they alone canât get the job done. The Patriots like what they saw out of Cory Durden and other depth pieces last season, but adding another high-upside option to the mix would make plenty of sense. That is particularly true considering that Khyiris Tonga, last yearâs No. 3 and starting nose tackle, defected to the Chiefs in free agency.
**7. Safety:** New England signed All-Pro Kevin Byard to fill a starting role at safety in 2026, and he is coming off a season in which he led the NFL in interceptions. However, he will turn 33 in August and is on a one-year deal. Adding a potential future starter to the mix to complement Craig Woodson would certainly make sense for the team, both with the present â Dell Pettus agin projects as the current No. 3 safety â and the future in mind.
**8. Guard:** With Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mike Onwenu as the starting duo, the Patriots have plenty of experience and immense potential manning their guard positions. However, Vera-Tuckerâs injury history is extensive and Onwenu is on the final year of his contract. Adding another player to the mix â Ben Brown is the current top backup and would probably be regardless â would give the team more all-around flexibility should a short- or a long-term need arise over the coming weeks and months.
**9. Cornerback:** Christian Gonzalez is one of the best cornerbacks in football, and fellow starters Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones are quality players in their own right. But while the Patriots have one of the leagueâs top trios, the drop-off behind the three is notable. At the moment, Charles Woods and Kindle Vildor project as the next men up, which leaves some room for improvement. New England has done research on a lot of cornerback prospects, and one of them ending up as a Patriot, most likely via one of the later rounds, could very well happen.
**10. Running back:** Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson are one of the top one-two running back combos in the league, and the Patriots have some depth in the form of Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison and Elijah Mitchell. That said, more bodies and by extension competition is never a bad thing at a physical position such as this. Also, the release of last yearâs RB3, Antonio Gibson, created some potential for another receiving back to be brought aboard.
**11. Punter:** Bryce Baringer has been a solid player for the Patriots, but he has yet to reach the upper echelons of punting performance since arriving in 2023. That and him entering the final year of his rookie contract might prompt the club to bring in some competition, either in the form of a late draft selection or an undrafted free agent.
**12. Center:** After an uneven one-year stint at left guard, Jared Wilson will return to his college position this year. There is optimism in the building in his abilities as a center, which in turn contributed to New England trading last yearâs top option, Garrett Bradbury, to Chicago. With him getting a shot and the aforementioned Ben Brown providing veteran depth, the Patriots are in solid shape for now. Of course, that projection depends entirely on Wilsonâs development.
**13. Quarterback:** Drake Maye is not going anywhere, while Tommy DeVito will be his backup in 2026. The Patriots will still try to add another quarterback this weekend, either in one of the late rounds of the draft or in rookie free agency. Head coach Mike Vrabel said so himself leading up to the draft, and the team has been in contact with plenty of candidates.
**14. Kicker:** Andy Borregales had a solid rookie season in 2025, and should get another crack at the kicker job as a sophomore. That doesnât mean the Patriots wonât add a camp leg to possibly compete with him, but the need to do so is minimal at this point in time.
**15. Long snapper:** Strap in, everybody, we are heading toward a long snapper competition. With incumbent Julian Ashby and free agency signing Niko Lalos both on the team, the Patriots have options at the position available. The need to add a third snapper at a position that can realistically only roster one person is virtually nonexistent.
**16. Fullback:** Fullback is a lot like long snapper, in that there are only so many players you can realistically keep around. In this day and age, one is enough, two is excessive. The Patriots have three fullbacks on their roster right now â Reggie Gilliam, Jack Westover, Brock Lampe â which means that they are in pretty good shape at a position that has become a relative afterthought in football in recent years.
Obviously, this ranking is subjective and there are certainly arguments about moving particular positions up or down the list or into different categories altogether. More than anything, however, the list can be seen as a way of showing where the Patriotsâ 90-man roster still has its shortcomings with the draft coming up.
As was pointed out by Mike Vrabel leading up to the draft, he and his team do not want to be in a position to pick for need. And, to be fair, they could field a competitive team even before the draft, which should give them some leeway to stick to their board rather than hunt for players at those primary positions above.
At the end of the day, however, the goal remains unchanged regardless of approach: exit the draft with the roster in the best possible shape. And to do so, adding more depth particularly on the edge, at offensive tackle and tight end is a must.
