The New England Patriots exceeded expectations in 2025, but their embarrassing Super Bowl performance no doubt put a damper on things. Their offensive line desperately needs to improve, and while a veteran interior addition and bringing back Vederian Lowe would help solidify the unit, building towards the future will also be key.
The Patriots have 12 draft picks as it stands, but I find it hard to believe they'll make that many selections with such a young squad already. Instead, I have New England navigating the board to add a pair of quality offensive linemen and defensive depth.
The coming weeks will allow New England to scour the free agent market to patch up any holes on the roster, but the draft will be a time to fill those holes for good.
The Patriots have the chance to make massive improvements to the offensive line
Round 1, Pick 31: OL Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
The Patriots will likely look to add a veteran guard this offseason as a short-term solution to their offensive line woes, but Proctor could be the long term answer at left guard. Mike Vrabel has never selected a collegiate guard in the top-100 during his coaching career, and that trend continues with the Alabama left tackle making the move inside.
The concern with Proctor is whether he can be left on an island, which gives him the NFL guard tag from most scouts. I list him as OL because if New England selected him, they might like his versatility and use him as a successor to Morgan Moses at right tackle.
Over the last two seasons, he's allowed four sacks and an excellent 3.6% pressure rate. Whether at guard or tackle, the selection of Proctor would go a long way in protecting Drake Maye.
Round 2, Pick 63: TE Max Klare, Ohio State
Klare was a player I was early on, and he's crept into the top-40 in some mocks recently. If he is available at No. 63, the Patriots should be thrilled at the opportunity to select an upgrade to Austin Hooper, who has great athleticism and versatility.
Klare spent at least 40% of his snaps in both the slot and in line, which would give Josh McDaniels the flexibility to use both him and Hunter Henry in his beloved 13 personnel.
Round 3, Pick 72: OT Brian Parker, Duke
Trade: NE sends Pick 95 (3), Pick 125 (4), and Pick 131 (4) to CIN for Pick 72 (3) and Pick 198 (6)
The Patriots move a pair of mid-round picks to secure the services of the Duke right tackle. Despite taking Proctor in Round 1, no team has ever complained about having too many good offensive linemen. Proctor could take over for the veteran left guard New England adds, while Parker could be Moses' successor on the right side.
Alternatively, Parker could be a high-quality swing tackle or bump inside to guard himself.
Parker allowed a 3.7% pressure rate this season with 3 sacks conceded. He was also penalized four times. While not a bad season, his 2024 season was excellent. He allowed a 1.9% pressure rate without conceding a sack during his first season as the full-time right tackle. He has left tackle experience from the 2023 season, but he's played nearly 1,600 more career snaps on the right side.
Round 4, Pick 127: RB J'Mari Taylor, Virginia
Trade: NE sends Pick 190 (6), Pick 201 (6), and Pick 208 (6) to SF for Pick 127 (4)
After acquiring what would be a fifth pick in the sixth round in their trade up for Parker, New England opts for quality over quantity, sending three sixth-rounders to move up for J'Mari Taylor. The team released Antonio Gibson this week, saving around $3 million by doing so.
As it stands, the running backs competing for the RB3 job are Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison, and futures signing Elijah Mitchell. Taylor would likely be an upgrade over any of them.
The Virginia back has had 1,000+ rushing yards each of the last two seasons for the Cavaliers, to go along with 29 touchdowns on the ground. He's also caught 72 passes during that time frame, or 80% of his targets. He's an impressive back, and while he won't offer much in the way of power at 5-foot-9, 204 pounds, he could be a valuable third-down back and special teamer.
Round 5, Pick 169: SAF Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech
New England needs to add depth to their defensive backfield, particularly at safety. Even if Jaylinn Hawkins returns, the only players behind him and Craig Woodson are Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler. Pettus has been solid in short spurts, but if a starter were to get injured, he doesn't have the experience to be a 50+ snap player.
While free agency seems the most likely place the team would find a third contributor, they could unearth a hidden gem at the back end of the draft.
Wisniewski spent four years at North Dakota State before transferring south to Lubbock. He played 100+ snaps in the slot for the first time in his career this season, but played as a deep safety 56% of the time. He had career bests in missed tackle rate (10.6%) and yards per catch allowed (6.9 YPC). At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, his size will give him the versatility to come down to the line of scrimmage, too.
Round 6, Pick 198: LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU
Trade: NE sends Pick 95 (3), Pick 125 (4), and Pick 131 (4) to CIN for Pick 72 (3) and Pick 198 (6)
The Patriots acquired No. 198 through the earlier trade with the Bengals, and they used it to add linebacker depth in Elarms-Orr. The Horned Frog had a career-high of 130 tackles this season, with a season-high of 5 stops in TCU's Bowl Game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
The Patriots should look to add a player like Leo Chenal in free agency, but Elarms-Orr could make for a solid special teamer and eventual successor to Jahlani Tavai as the unit looks to get lighter, faster, and younger.
Round 6, Pick 211: WR Malik Benson, Oregon
Speed kills, and Benson has it in droves. After playing at Alabama and Florida State, he found success in Eugene, totaling 43 catches for 719 yards and 6 touchdowns this year. He returned 9 punts, scoring a touchdown and averaging nearly 18 yards per return. Stefon Diggs' future with the team remains to be seen, while 2026 is a contract year for three other receivers.
Benson could be a long-term depth piece and deep threat, and should he light up the Combine, he could find himself going a lot higher than 211.
Round 7, Pick 247: SAF Jalen Catalon, Missouri
After double-dipping on the offensive line earlier in the draft, the Patriots do the same at safety on Day 3. Catalon is one of the oldest prospects in the draft, as he just finished his seventh year of collegiate football.
After four seasons at Arkansas, Catalon transferred to Texas for the 2023 season. He would then make one-season stops at UNLV and Missouri.
While he's almost 25, Catalon has some pieces of his game to admire. He hasn't been penalized over the last three years, and in 2024, with UNLV, he allowed just a 57% completion rate. Half his career snaps have come as a deep safety, while the bulk of the rest have come in the box and then in the slot.
Experience might help Catalon be a high-floor pick who can help immediately, offering safety depth at the bargain-bin price of the 247th pick.
While selecting two offensive linemen in the top-75 might seem excessive, it would give the Patriots a lot of stability up front. Add in a free agent left guard, and the line would be more stable immediately. Long term, Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Marcus Bryant, Caedan Wallace, and the newly acquired Kadyn Proctor and Brian Parker would all be on rookie contracts.
All things considered, the future of Drake Maye's health and protection would be in good hands.