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2027 Watch List

 
Pats are going to need to look heavily at LB in 2027. Guys who can develop to replace Spillane and Elliss.

I would expect that Safety will be the other Top Priority. I expect that DE and IOL will be the 2nd tier and DT, CB, WR will be 3rd tier. The lowest priority is likely to be OT, RB, QB.
 
Kayden Mcdonald - 34 defensive stops, 15 pressures

Will Echoles (Ole Miss) - 35 stops, 39 pressures

Look what Echoles (52) does to the FB on this rep.


Hmmm.. If that happened in the NFL, probably is getting called for a facemask, unfortunately.. But he's definitely a handful.
 

There should be some athletic LBs available next year. Sammy Bown, Kyngstonn Viliamu-asa, Ben Roberts, Sammy Omosighbo, Whit Weeks, Arion Carter, Joe Rojas, just for a start.

2026 was a historically good LB group, with 7 going in the first 2 rounds. I'm guessing there will be good players available in the 4th round.

2026 had a historic number.. That doesn't mean they are good. They need to actually perform on the field at the NFL level before they earn that honorific.
 
Pats are going to need to look heavily at LB in 2027. Guys who can develop to replace Spillane and Elliss.

I would expect that Safety will be the other Top Priority. I expect that DE and IOL will be the 2nd tier and DT, CB, WR will be 3rd tier. The lowest priority is likely to be OT, RB, QB.

I agree. Obviously, that doesn't mean the draft order will align completely.

Despite Mike Vrabel's protestation that you never want to draft for need, need has factored heavily into the 2025 and 2026 drafts. As the roster fills out, perhaps we'll see less of that.

S is potentially loaded for 2027.

LB is not as strong as 2026 at the top, but reasonably deep. Sammy Brown, Kyngstonn Viliamu-asa and Ben Roberts look like the top 3 to me right now, but Chris Cole, Arion Carter and Joe Rojas could easily emerge, as well as others.

I could easily see the Pats going BPA round 1, and addressing needs in rounds 2-5. If a stud "tier " need player at DT, CB, WR or TE falls, the value may outweigh the need.
 
Notre Dame is loaded. Some nice discussion of potential draft status:

There was one somewhat surprising mention in terms of potential high rounders for Notre Dame next April: Junior linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. While “KVA” is working back from an ACL injury, the NFL is infatuated with the versatility that he brings to the table. In a similar fashion to Arvell Reese from this past draft, Viliamu-Asa has had eye popping moments both on and off the ball for the Irish. Why Notre Dame hasn’t taken more advantage of his talent is beyond me.

One source called KVA the “best Notre Dame linebacker on the team, and it isn’t remotely close”. If he can get back healthy, it will be nice to see his talents put on full display. With the injury, it is uncertain if he will be a part of the 2027 class, but there is a path to being the top linebacker selected next April.

Of the remaining potential 2026 prospects, star pass rusher Boubacar Traore probably has the widest range of opinions right now. There are some who love his mix of length and explosiveness, while others want to see his pass rush repertoire and power profile to take a step forward. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him either be a top-50 overall selection or last until early on Day Three (rounds 4-7).

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Here's my question to everyone. Assuming Eli Raridon works out as planned and we get AJ Brown who contributes as much as he did for the Eagles last year for the next two to three years and Kyle williams progresses normally, who benefits the Patriots more? A top TE (Johnson or Green) or Charlie Becker?

It's a tough one, complicated by Kyle Williams who could be a good WR3. However, I think Becker is the ideal Drake Maye WR with his size speed and ability at the catch point. Williams then becomes your WR4. So, if we were to go pass catcher in the first, I'd pick Becker over a TE I think. That doesn't mean I don't like Jamari Johnson or Tre'Dez Green though.
 
I agree. Obviously, that doesn't mean the draft order will align completely.

Agreed. I wasn't putting any sort of "order" on them. It's far too early for that.
Despite Mike Vrabel's protestation that you never want to draft for need, need has factored heavily into the 2025 and 2026 drafts. As the roster fills out, perhaps we'll see less of that.

S is potentially loaded for 2027.

That's always a good sign when the draft is loaded at a position you'll be focusing on.
LB is not as strong as 2026 at the top, but reasonably deep. Sammy Brown, Kyngstonn Viliamu-asa and Ben Roberts look like the top 3 to me right now, but Chris Cole, Arion Carter and Joe Rojas could easily emerge, as well as others.

I could easily see the Pats going BPA round 1, and addressing needs in rounds 2-5. If a stud "tier " need player at DT, CB, WR or TE falls, the value may outweigh the need.
Agreed. When I said "Top Priorities" I was referring to the area of the team that is likely to be the one of the greatest need. Going into this off-season, I felt that RT/LB were the biggest needs. That changed with Landry's injury and Swinson's lack of development, so Edge was added. The Pats addressed two of those 3.

So, this year, as I said above, LB & S are likely to be the priority. This could change if someone really steps up and is better than any of us could have hoped. Just like the other positions could change in priority. Its definitely a fluid situation.
 
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