New England Patriots 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

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No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the Patriots' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

New England Patriots Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Edge Rusher
2. Pass Catcher
3. Defensive Back

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New England Patriots 2026 Draft Capital

The Patriots have the 16th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

New England Patriots Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Patriots to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

New England Patriots Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the New England Patriots, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Drake Maye
2. Tommy DeVito

Drake Maye’s second-year breakout led to a second-place MVP finish and a trip to the Super Bowl.

Maye led the NFL in quarterback rating (113.5), QBR (77.2), EPA per play (0.27), and was second in success rate (51.6%).

He completed a league-high 72% of his passes for a league-high 8.9 yards per pass attempt.

The only other quarterbacks in league history to average over 8.5 Y/A on 400-plus attempts in their second NFL season were Kurt Warner (8.7), Patrick Mahomes (8.8), Joe Burrow (8.9), Dan Marino (9.0), and Brock Purdy (9.6).

On throws 10 or more yards downfield, Maye completed 60.7% of his passes (2nd) for a league-high 13.4 yards per attempt.

The league average on those completions was 48.5%.

On throws 20 or more yards downfield, Maye completed 50% (3rd) while throwing a league-high 5 touchdowns on throws 30 or more yards downfield.

Maye also added 450 yards and 4 touchdowns via his legs.

A lot was made about the New England schedule last season, and if there are any nits to pick with the tremendous season New England had on offense last year, it is that the postseason showed this offense still has plenty of room to grow when facing front-end competition.

In the postseason, the Patriots averaged 4.5 yards per play, 1.13 points per drive, and had a 36.1% success rate.

In the regular season, they had averaged 6.2 yards per play, 2.60 points per drive, and had a 46% success rate.

After completing 72% of his passes in the regular season for 8.9 Y/A, Maye completed 58.3% of his passes for 6.9 Y/A in the postseason.

He threw 6 touchdowns to 4 interceptions, fumbled 7 times, and took 21 sacks.

The Patriots still have an immediate window to capitalize on Maye’s rookie contract.

They arguably have one of the worst backup quarterback situations in the league, with only Tommy DeVito in-house.

Running Back

1. Rhamondre Stevenson
2. TreVeyon Henderson
3. Lan Larison
4. Terrell Jennings
5. Elijah Mitchell
6. Reggie Gilliam (FB)
7. Brock Lampe (FB)

The Patriots found a run game to close the season, making them a more complete offense.

Over the final nine games of the regular season, New England running backs had a 41% success rate (9th), averaged a league-high 5.5 yards per rush, and had a run of 10 or more yards on 11.8% of their attempts (5th).

Before that, New England backs had a 36.3% success rate (25th), averaged 3.8 YPC (26th), and had a run of 10 or more yards on 8.8% of attempts (23rd).

Their backs faced eight or more defenders in the box on 57.9% of their runs over the final nine games, the second-highest rate in the league.

That good run overlapped with TreVeyon Henderson‘s insertion into a larger role in the offense and a great finish from Rhamondre Stevenson.

Stevenson averaged over 5.0 yards per carry in each of his final four games of the regular season and then dominated the backfield in the postseason.

Stevenson played 70.3% of the postseason snaps, out-touching Henderson 70 to 35.

Despite a limited playoff run with only 35 touches for 109 yards, Henderson posted 1,132 total yards and 10 touchdowns on 215 touches during the regular season as a rookie.

Henderson had 4 touchdown runs of 50 or more yards, the most in the NFL.

That was the most 50-yard touchdown runs by a rookie in a season since Saquon Barkley in 2018.

He had two games with multiple 50-yard touchdown runs.

The last player to do that multiple times in a season was Chris Johnson in 2009.

The Patriots will be looking for Henderson to round out his game, be a more consistent runner, and improve in pass protection in year two.

They can run this backfield tandem back.

Stevenson is under contract through 2028.

Wide Receiver

1. Romeo Doubs
2. Kayshon Boutte
3. Mack Hollins
4. DeMario Douglas
5. Kyle Williams
6. Efton Chism
7. Jeremian Webb
8. John Jiles

The Patriots threw a lot at the wide receiver position and had one of the largest rotations in the league.

No wide receiver was on the field for 70% of the dropbacks last year.

Stefon Diggs was the de facto WR1 and was hyper-efficient.

Diggs was on the field for a team-high 68.3% of the dropbacks, leading the team with 21.2% of the targets.

Diggs was targeted on 24.4% of his routes (WR16) with 2.42 yards per route run (WR5).

Not wanting to deal with the ancillary off-field issues with Diggs, the Patriots moved on and released him this offseason.

They were linked to Alec Pierce and still are the favorites to land A.J. Brown should he eventually be traded, but this roster right now is more of a sum of parts that may not have a player as efficient as Diggs was last year.

Their big addition so far has been Romeo Doubs.

Doubs was a solid and arguably underrated player over his rookie contract in Green Bay, but he has not yet hit 100 targets in an NFL season, with a career-high of 724 receiving yards set last season.

Doubs was targeted on 20.7% of his routes (WR31 among 76 wide receivers that ran 300-plus routes) last season for 1.77 yards per route run (WR24).

Kayshon Boutte had a soft breakout in 2025, catching 33 passes for 551 yards and 6 touchdowns.

He led the team with 168 yards over the four playoff games.

Boutte saw only 11.6% of the team's targets in his games played, relying on splash-play opportunities.

He averaged 17.0 air yards per target with 28.3% of his targets coming on throws 20 or more yards downfield.

34.8% of Boutte’s targets came on go routes, which was fourth among all wide receivers.

Boutte is in the final year of his current contract.

Mack Hollins caught 46 passes for 550 yards and 2 touchdowns, running a route on 55.9% of the dropbacks (3rd on the team).

DeMario Douglas was on the field for 36.3% of the dropbacks, catching 31 passes for 447 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Kyle Williams played on 29.1% of the passing plays, catching 10 passes for 209 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The limitations that this group faced in the postseason last year still leave the Patriots looking for a true alpha target here, while the contractual depth is thin.

Doubs, Williams, and Efton Chism are the only wide receivers currently signed beyond 2026.

Tight End

1. Hunter Henry
2. Julian Hill
3. Jack Westover
4. CJ Dippre
5. Marshall Lang

Hunter Henry had a career-high 768 receiving yards last season, catching 60 passes to go along with 7 touchdowns.

He did that on only 87 targets, drawing a target on 18.9% of his routes (TE31).

Henry will turn 32 in December and is in the final year of his current contract.

With Henry set to become a free agent after the season and limited production behind him, the Patriots are in play to add a pass-catching tight end in this draft.

Losing Austin Hooper in free agency, the Patriots added Julian Hill, a run-blocking asset.

Offensive Line

LT: Will Campbell, James Hudson, Lorenz Metz
LG: Alijah Vera-Tucker, Caedan Wallace, Mekhi Becton
C: Jared Wilson, Ben Brown
RG: Mike Onwenu, Andrew Rupcich
RT: Morgan Moses, Marcus Bryant, Sebastian Gutierrez

The Patriots started two rookies up front last season in Will Campbell (fourth overall) and Jared Wilson (95th overall).

Both were thrown into the fire and took their lumps as rookies.

Campbell’s postseason struggles were a hot topic to end the year.

Campbell allowed 19 pressures (11.9% pressure rate) and 4 sacks in the postseason after allowing a 5.5% pressure rate and 5 sacks in the regular season (13 games).

There has been external clamoring that Campbell will inevitably move to guard at some point in his NFL career, but that does not appear to be the case for year two.

Wilson is a good bet to play a new position in 2026.

Regarded as arguably the top center in last year's draft, Wilson ended up playing full-time left guard as a rookie.

Whereas Campbell still played well during the regular season, Wilson was 77th among guards in overall grade per Pro Football Focus.

Wilson allowed a 6.4% pressure rate (76th among guards).

With Garrett Bradbury traded and the addition of Alijah Vera-Tucker, Wilson can now slide into the center spot for his second season.

Vera-Tucker has been snakebit over the course of his early career.

Vera-Tucker has played in 43 games through five seasons, missing double-digit games in three of those seasons.

He missed all of 2025 due to a torn triceps.

When he last played in 2024 with the Jets, he was still impactful.

He just needs to stay on the field.

Mike Onwenu and Morgan Moses make up a strong right side of the line, but the Patriots may have to start making calibrations surrounding both.

Onwenu is in the final season of his current contract.

Moses is still signed for two more seasons, but he did just turn 35 in March.

The Patriots have some short-term flexibility here, but if they are forced to move Campbell into a new position as early as next season while insulating themselves on Onwenu’s contract and the age of Moses, offensive line additions are on the table.

New England Patriots Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the New England Patriots, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Milton Williams
2. Christian Barmore
3. Cory Durden
4. Joshua Farmer
5. Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
6. Eric Gregory
7. Leonard Taylor III

The Patriots were good against opposing running backs in 2025, finishing sixth in yards allowed per carry (3.9) to the position and fourth in explosive run rate allowed.

New England did lose Khyiris Tonga in free agency, but the other main contributors along the line are back.

Milton Williams was limited to 12 games in his first season with the Patriots, but he had an impressive 13.2% pressure rate and was second on the team with 9 run stuffs.

Christian Barmore bounced back from his scary medical situation to play all 17 games last season, posting a 12.4% pressure rate.

Neither player converted those pressures into sacks at a high rate, but simply getting pressure is a good sign for things to come.

Cory Durden tied Williams with 9 run stuffs, and he could get a shot at more playing time with Tonga gone.

A fourth-round pick last year, Joshua Farmer did not play a ton, but he does offer some young upside to this position group.

New England already has a lot invested along the defensive line, but they might not have a true run stuffer with Tonga gone, and Barmore’s cap hits go up significantly after this season.

Those issues could prompt them to add to the defensive line in the draft.

Edge Defenders

1. Harold Landry
2. Dre’Mont Jones
3. Elijah Ponder
4. Bradyn Swinson
5. Jesse Luketa

The Patriots finished 12th in pressure rate (38.4%) last year, but they lagged behind with just 35 sacks (22nd).

K'Lavon Chaisson, who was second on the team in sacks last year, left in free agency, and the Patriots added Dre’Mont Jones.

Jones logged 7 sacks while playing for the Titans and Ravens last season, and his pressure rate looked better with the Ravens.

Still, he might not be a true impact pass rusher at this point in his career.

Harold Landry contributed 8.5 sacks in his first season with the team, posting a solid 12.8% pressure rate.

Elijah Ponder earned a role last year as an undrafted rookie and could be ready for more in year two, and 2025 fifth-round pick Bradyn Swinson is also waiting in the wings.

The Patriots are solid enough on the edge, but it is fair to question if they really have a difference-making pass rusher on the roster.

Adding a top-level talent would really round this depth chart out.

Linebacker

1. Robert Spillane
2. Christian Elliss
3. K.J. Britt
4. Chad Muma
5. Otis Reese
6. Amari Gainer

Robert Spillane missed some time, but he was good in his first year with the team, especially against the run.

Spillane led the team with 10 run stuffs, and he recorded a tackle on 21.6% of his run defense snaps.

With Jack Gibbens leaving in free agency, Christian Elliss appears to be the unquestioned No. 2 heading into 2026.

Elliss was solid enough last season, but he has yet to play more than 550 snaps on defense in a season.

K.J. Britt was added on a small deal in free agency, but he has not shown well when given defensive snaps at his other stops.

Elliss and Britt are scheduled to be free agents after this season.

At the very least, the Patriots need some depth at linebacker, and it probably makes sense to add a younger player who can push Elliss for that No. 2 spot.

Cornerback

1. Christian Gonzalez
2. Carlton Davis
3. Marcus Jones
4. Marcellas Dial Jr.
5. Kindle Vildor
6. Charles Woods
7. Kobee Minor
8. Brandon Crossley

The Patriots allowed 6.7 yards per attempt (10th) last season and finished 11th in EPA allowed per pass attempt.

Christian Gonzalez continued the great start to his career, allowing just a 57.0 quarterback rating in his coverage last season.

The Patriots have already picked up his fifth-year option, keeping him under contract for at least two more years.

Carlton Davis played a full season for the first time in his career during his first year with the Patriots, and he finished 18th among qualified corners in yards allowed per coverage snap.

Marcus Jones rounds out the excellent top three from last season, primarily covering the slot for the Patriots in 2025.

With that trio atop the depth chart, the only real question at cornerback is depth, something the team could look to address in the draft.

Safety

1. Craig Woodson
2. Kevin Byard
3. Dell Pettus
4. Brenden Schooler
5. Mike Brown
6. John Saunders Jr.

A fourth-round pick last year, Craig Woodson is coming off a promising rookie campaign in which he ranked 23rd among qualified safeties in yards allowed per coverage snap.

New England did lose Jaylinn Hawkins, who played the second-most safety snaps last season, in free agency, but they replaced him with Kevin Byard.

Byard played for Mike Vrabel with the Titans, and he is coming off two quality seasons in Chicago.

Like at cornerback, the concern at safety is depth, especially since Byard will turn 33 in August.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams