He might be more of a finesse player than a bully, but his mirroring is borderline special, and is very worth the pick, even if he doesn’t start in 2026. The Patriots said themselves that they thought he wouldn’t be available anywhere near where they would be drafting, so they canceled their pre-draft visit with him. Think about how high he must have been in their rankings for them to do that.

It’s the second year in a row that the Patriots spent their first-round pick on an offensive tackle, but when you have the chance to take someone who you regard so highly, you have to take it.The Bad: Not only are the Patriots planning to not have him start his entire rookie year, but they are also going to ask him to switch sides, which isn’t always an easy task. That doesn’t mean that he won’t be able to do it, but there’s a risk that he doesn’t develop the way they want him to, or that he can’t easily make the transition to the right side of the line. Is it worth the risk?

I think so, but there’s still more risk involved in this pick than there might have been in other selections.#Patriots OT Caleb Lomu (#71) vs ED David Bailey pic.twitter.com/0gFsBP1mRb— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) April 24, 2026Round 22-55 ED Gabe Jacas (Illinois): AThe Good: Jacas is the most physical of the edge defenders in this class. He brings some serious punch when attacking offensive tackles, and he racked up a bunch of sacks the last few years too. His speed to power is reminiscent of former Patriot Matthew Judon, and he has said that he modeled his game after the Pro Bowler.

He also has a very good repertoire of pass rush moves, and doesn’t just rely on his strength to overpower his opponent. The Bad: The biggest concern with Jacas is that he simply isn’t quick enough to win around the edge. He’s a bit of a plodder, and he might not be able to use his strength as much at the next level.

He’s not Keion White, because he has some actual pass rush moves from the edge, but without the elite speed, he might not win consistently when trying to get to the quarterback. I'm irrationally in on Gabe Jacas. Hoss.

Not twitchy enough to be an elite sack guy but he's a great power rusher with good football IQ and spectacular effort. Gimme gimme gimme. pic.twitter.com/1ysKjO1PE8— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) March 25, 2026Round 33-95 TE Eli Raridon (Notre Dame): AThe Good: Raridon feels like he might have been built in a lab to save the Patriots’ tight end room. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s a solid run blocker, and he has very good hands.

He is less of a projection, because you can see the production, both receiving and blocking, on his tape. This pick should excite a lot of people.The Bad: He tore his ACL twice in the same knee. Now, that was a few years ago, but it could still be a concern even though he and the Patriots downplayed his injury history.

He appears to be a solid player, but he could stand to add some bulk to his frame, and there is no certainty that his athleticism is quite as good when he does.Eli Raridon will play in the NFL for a long time pic.twitter.com/jU59gYVZlW— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 20, 2026Round 55.171 CB Karon Prunty (Wake Forest): CThe Good: The Patriots didn’t make a pick from 95 to 171, and when they were back on the clock they once again drafted a player at a position they need. They went for size again at cornerback with Prunty, who measures in at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. Watching his tape, you can see the ability to break on the ball and knock it away from the receiver.

He might not be the best tackler in the draft, but he does show some willingness to stick his nose in there. The Patriots hit on their first pick of Day 3 last year on a defensive back that was drafted high above projections —safety Craig Woodson — and maybe they can do it again this year.The Bad: Prunty was a massive reach according to consensus. Sure, he had a decent year last year, but he’s bounced around a few different schools, and his play has never matched his physical traits. Overdrafting at a position where there isn’t a pressing need this year, and passing up poten