Which positions would help improve the 2026 playoff chances most?

The draft does many things.

One of these is to improvements this year's playoff roster. That is just one of the goals of the draft. For me, drafting a much-needed OT, TE, and even OG might not help a lot this year, but are very important for next year

I suspect that we could get the most help this year with additions at EDGE, NT and WR.

I'm NOT saying that these are the highest draft priorities. These positions could be improved by free agency signings, by claims, by trade or by the draft. By whatever method, an addition would help 2026 a lot at these positions

Improving the quality of backups at whatever positions have key starters go down with injuries in the coming regular season.

Which positions those will be remains to be seen.

All positions, isn't that what the draft is about?.

Offensive line. Quality starters are still needed, and quality depth is desperately needed.

But that's been my platform all along. If I had to make my second choice...

I'd say a dynamic tight end. Give Maye his own Francis, Coates, Gronk. Someone that defenses are unsure if he's going to be a blocker or a receiver.

mgteich said:

The draft does many things.

One of these is to improvements this year's playoff roster. That is just one of the goals of the draft. For me, drafting a much-needed OT, TE, and even OG might not help a lot this year, but are very important for next year

I suspect that we could get the most help this year with additions at EDGE, NT and WR.

I'm NOT saying that these are the highest draft priorities. These positions could be improved by free agency signings, by claims, by trade or by the draft. By whatever method, an addition would help 2026 a lot at these positions

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Agreed. Think of it this way. Vrabel has to have 90 guys on his roster to enter camp with. Veterans, rookie, UDFA, claims, cuts ect. Of those mix of players he has to mold the 2026 patiots from.

He has the most important roster spot if them all in Drake solidified.

I cannot stress enough how much easier it is to build a roster when you have stability at the most important position on the team. For some fans who need reminders go to YouTube and replay if they should dare some 2022- 2024 patiots football. It will quickly remind us all that we are fortunate to have Drake.

Now rounding out the depth will be vital this off season.. however I'm confident from out of 90 guys competing down to 53 we will have a competitive roster come week 1.

I believe the team needs to double down at LB
Spillane, Elliss and who? Britt and Muma are nice ST additions who could help, but have shown to be lacking in the past.
lots of productive snaps went out the door with Jennings, Tavai, Gibbons and Mapu.
the team is extremely thin at the position now.
could another vet be brought in? does Milano have anything left in the tank?

They currently have all of their starters assuming health. They can always improve the starters, but they could begin the season tomorrow and field a very good starting unit.

Now they need to add depth and potential future starters to groom behind the current starters.

I have the draft needs as: OT, TE, WR (barring AJ Brown Trade), OG, CB.

With slightly lesser needs being: LB, Safety and RB. Pass rush is one of those positions you add every year, so round out the draft with some Edge players.

They can afford to take the best available player with every pick, but as Vrabel correctly stated he places a premium on offensive and defensive line and so do I.

They have 11 picks and undrafted free agents to really cement this year’s roster, they have 18 roster spots available and could cut some fat to open up more… earn your money.

rkarp1 said:

I believe the team needs to double down at LB
Spillane, Elliss and who? Britt and Muma are nice ST additions who could help, but have shown to be lacking in the past.
lots of productive snaps went out the door with Jennings, Tavai, Gibbons and Mapu.
the team is extremely thin at the position now.
could another vet be brought in? does Milano have anything left in the tank?

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When did Muma show he was lacking in the past? He’s been in the league four years, he was behind two pro bowl inside linebackers in Jacksonville. A whole new regime came in and started over from scratch.

Mike Vrabel didn’t start a single game his first four years, he got his opportunity and flourished. Muma might be a diamond in the rough. He’s a great athlete with upside as a potential starter behind Spillane or even in Ellis’s weakside position. We’ll see…

Wozzy said:

When did Muma show he was lacking in the past? He’s been in the league four years, he was behind two pro bowl inside linebackers in Jacksonville. A whole new regime came in and started over from scratch.

Mike Vrabel didn’t start a single game his first four years, he got his opportunity and flourished. Muma might be a diamond in the rough. He’s a great athlete with upside as a potential starter behind Spillane or even in Ellis’s weakside position. We’ll see…

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Agreed. I'll continue to stay inclined to believe that Vrabel knows full well what he's doing. He has 11 draft picks and likely an additional 4 or 5 UDFA to all have brought into the program and get top notch coaching.

I liked the Muma pick up and he'll have a prime opportunity to carve out a role in camp. Reported the players are all back for offseason workouts, ect. This is where the work is put in far before camp starts.

rkarp1 said:

I believe the team needs to double down at LB
Spillane, Elliss and who? Britt and Muma are nice ST additions who could help, but have shown to be lacking in the past.
lots of productive snaps went out the door with Jennings, Tavai, Gibbons and Mapu.
the team is extremely thin at the position now.
could another vet be brought in? does Milano have anything left in the tank?

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I think Milano is under contract still? However he's still a good player but injuries have hampered his career. We have 11 picks, probably another 4-5 UDFA and then claims, cuts ect. This is all to meet the 90 man roster for the off season. Of those 90 I'd be absolutely floored if someone doesn't emerge at LB beyond the starting guys.

Agree with the premise, not with the priority ordering. My priority order is:

Edge
ILB
OL (IOL then OT)
WR, RB, TE (any order)
Safety, DL, CB (any order)
QB3

Wozzy said:

They currently have all of their starters assuming health. They can always improve the starters, but they could begin the season tomorrow and field a very good starting unit.

Now they need to add depth and potential future starters to groom behind the current starters.

I have the draft needs as: OT, TE, WR (barring AJ Brown Trade), OG, CB.

With slightly lesser needs being: LB, Safety and RB. Pass rush is one of those positions you add every year, so round out the draft with some Edge players.

They can afford to take the best available player with every pick, but as Vrabel correctly stated he places a premium on offensive and defensive line and so do I.

They have 11 picks and undrafted free agents to really cement this year’s roster, they have 18 roster spots available and could cut some fat to open up more… earn your money.

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I generally agree with emphasis on both lines, and I include Edge as part of the DL. I think we are in much better shape at IDL than at either Edge or ILB, so Edge is top priority as both a premium position and position of need. ILB is high as a position of need, and IDL isn’t as high because need is not as high as other positions (i.e. OL).

n1997y said:

Agree with the premise, not with the priority ordering. My priority order is:

Edge
ILB
OL (IOL then OT)
WR, RB, TE (any order)
Safety, DL, CB (any order)
QB3


I generally agree with emphasis on both lines, and I include Edge as part of the DL. I think we are in much better shape at IDL than at either Edge or ILB, so Edge is top priority as both a premium position and position of need. ILB is high as a position of need, and IDL isn’t as high because need is not as high as other positions (i.e. OL).

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My order is based off the amount of quality tackles found in this and most draft classes... in short, there's not many. If there's a mostly flawless offensive tackle staring them in the face at 31 like Blake Miller and a stud OLB edge player (insert your favorite one here), I am taking the starting offensive tackle all-day every-day.

After the first two rounds you won't find many starting tackles, but you can find a stud OLB like Elijah Ponder in the undrafted ranks. There's almost always some athletic freak coming from a smaller school sitting there in the middle and late rounds.

Also they signed Dre'mont Jones, he provides them Milton Williams relief. Williams can get some rest and doesn't get overused because they have a poor man's version of Williams in Jones. Jones also has some of that Williams versatility to move inside on passing downs and rush from the DT position. By default you've gotten better by keeping Williams fresh and by having another speed/power interior rusher in Jones.

And make no mistake, the loss of Chaisson is what it is... but Landry is and was their best OLB edge player before he got hurt. He was averaging a sack a game and unlike Chaisson, Landry is a plus edge run defender. He had surgery and will be back. I think an OLB coming off knee surgery is less effected than say a WR or skill position that has to make sharp cuts. Behind him Elijah Ponder is an athletic stud, he showed flashed last year and got valuable snaps. He needed to get stronger, hopefully he is in the weight room with Landry and watching how he prepares. In short, they're not as thin at edge as local media are suggesting.

ILB is another position you can find in the middle and late rounds. Both Spillane and Christian Ellis are still starting, and both of them were undrafted free agents. They found Chad Muma on the scrap heap, he is still young and really athletic. Add one more guy from the middle rounds and you have a great mix of vets and young guys.

Big guys are in fewer supply... the universe makes less big athletic guys. It makes plenty of 6" tall guys.

Wozzy said:

My order is based off the amount of quality tackles found in this and most draft classes... in short, there's not many. If there's a mostly flawless offensive tackle staring them in the face at 31 like Blake Miller and a stud OLB edge player (insert your favorite one here), I am taking the starting offensive tackle all-day every-day.

After the first two rounds you won't find many starting tackles, but you can find a stud OLB like Elijah Ponder in the undrafted ranks. There's almost always some athletic freak coming from a smaller school sitting there in the middle and late rounds.

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Good points. I did not consider the supply as much as I might have, particularly being unfamiliar with the smaller school player pool. I’m still inclined to believe that the chance of finding any starter drops off quite fast after the beginning of the draft. At #31 it’s very likely we’re looking at considerable development being required. I think it’s more likely that any OL at #31 will take some development, while there might be some athletic small school OLB or ILB closer to ready to play just on athleticism. Agree that a good quality OT would be the pick if available, just very skeptical that any will be available by #31 as I expect they’ll be thoroughly picked over earlier in the round.

Wozzy said:

Also they signed Dre'mont Jones, he provides them Milton Williams relief. Williams can get some rest and doesn't get overused because they have a poor man's version of Williams in Jones. Jones also has some of that Williams versatility to move inside on passing downs and rush from the DT position. By default you've gotten better by keeping Williams fresh and by having another speed/power interior rusher in Jones.

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Definitely agree adding depth and keeping the front line starters fresh is very desirable.

Wozzy said:

And make no mistake, the loss of Chaisson is what it is... but Landry is and was their best OLB edge player before he got hurt. He was averaging a sack a game and unlike Chaisson, Landry is a plus edge run defender. He had surgery and will be back. I think an OLB coming off knee surgery is less effected than say a WR or skill position that has to make sharp cuts. Behind him Elijah Ponder is an athletic stud, he showed flashed last year and got valuable snaps. He needed to get stronger, hopefully he is in the weight room with Landry and watching how he prepares. In short, they're not as thin at edge as local media are suggesting.

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The more I think about it the more I like trading a handful of later round picks for Greenard. I think if we do that we’ve done a lot to make our edge situation much better. I’m greedy, I’d like to see the pass rush upgraded to thoroughly dominant.

Wozzy said:

ILB is another position you can find in the middle and late rounds. Both Spillane and Christian Ellis are still starting, and both of them were undrafted free agents. They found Chad Muma on the scrap heap, he is still young and really athletic. Add one more guy from the middle rounds and you have a great mix of vets and young guys.

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Agreed. But still greedy. Give me a couple of new faces, at least one of them better than the guys on the roster now.

Wozzy said:

Big guys are in fewer supply... the universe makes less big athletic guys. It makes plenty of 6" tall guys.

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It’s true, you can’t teach any rookies to become 6’8” and 350. I’m definitely down to see the OL full of road graders to pave the way for our anticipated smash mouth running game. Wouldn’t mind a similarly sized NT to prevent opponents from handling us that way.

Draft priorities are tough to balance, there’s different supply, need, and positional importance at each position. And then all these discussions get turned upside down as the draft unfolds and teams ahead of us do unexpected things. Then the dust settles and we get to see if the prospects pan out or bust. Hopefully we come out of this draft with as few busts as we had last year, no matter who we draft.

Real fan 02 said:

Agreed. I'll continue to stay inclined to believe that Vrabel knows full well what he's doing. He has 11 draft picks and likely an additional 4 or 5 UDFA to all have brought into the program and get top notch coaching.

I liked the Muma pick up and he'll have a prime opportunity to carve out a role in camp. Reported the players are all back for offseason workouts, ect. This is where the work is put in far before camp starts.

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Muma could be something. perhaps not
that said, he has been released by both the Jags and Colts
will be 27 years old before the start of the season
played 56 defensive snaps last season
I have him as a long shot. I would still double dip in the draft in the opportunity presents itself

rkarp1 said:

Muma could be something. perhaps not
that said, he has been released by both the Jags and Colts
will be 27 years old before the start of the season
played 56 defensive snaps last season
I have him as a long shot. I would still double dip in the draft in the opportunity presents itself

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Absolutely! I actually believe the moves Vrabel's doing are calculated while he's creating a contender he's also building up the the roster through the draft and making intentional FA signings.. muma like all the guys that will be on the roster this time next month heading into mini camp all will have ample opportunities to compete for a roster spot.

OL, OL, OL, OL, OL.

If they don't address this, they are cooked.

TheRainMaker said:

OL, OL, OL, OL, OL.

If they don't address this, they are cooked.

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I do understand. We need OL help for. But let us clarify.

Your position is that we need to draft OL's in order to do better in 2026, and that no other position would be helped more than for 2026 than drafting an OL or two?

mgteich said:

I do understand. We need OL help for. But let us clarify.

Your position is that we need to draft OL's in order to do better in 2026, and that no other position would be helped more than for 2026 than drafting an OL or two?

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Of course other positions are a need such as WR, LB, Edge and S. However, the OL were single handedly trying to lose them all the playoff games and that has to be addressed. As it stands right now, their OL is arguably worse than last year.

I want two OL in the first 4 rounds at minimum.

Real fan 02 said:

Agreed. I'll continue to stay inclined to believe that Vrabel knows full well what he's doing. He has 11 draft picks and likely an additional 4 or 5 UDFA to all have brought into the program and get top notch coaching.

I liked the Muma pick up and he'll have a prime opportunity to carve out a role in camp. Reported the players are all back for offseason workouts, ect. This is where the work is put in far before camp starts.

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Yes, last year's draft's acquiring of considerable help on Offense and Defense can happen. You keep mention the 15 picks (11 plus 4 UDFA'S as the sources of that help.

I don't expect Vrabel to have another miracle first 6 picks (in the first 4 rounds) plus one contributor from the 20-25 UDFA's signed after the draft.

That was one of the best efforts EVER. I expect help this year, but less.
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Maybe, just maybe, the 6 picks after the 4th round and the UDFA's will contribute much, much more than last year's group in helping our Offense and Defense, perhaps not.
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And, yes, I would be 100% fine with Vrabel drafting needed ST help with the late picks, as he did last year.
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And, yes, as the patriots have done for over 25 years, I do view the potential of 5th and later picks differently than the early pick, although we certainly have drafted good players in the 5th and 6th rounds. It happens; it just isn't likely.

mgteich said:

Yes, last year's draft's acquiring of considerable help on Offense and Defense can happen. You keep mention the 15 picks (11 plus 4 UDFA'S as the sources of that help.

I don't expect Vrabel to have another miracle first 6 picks (in the first 4 rounds) plus one contributor from the 20-25 UDFA's signed after the draft.

That was one of the best efforts EVER. I expect help this year, but less.
================
Maybe, just maybe, the 6 picks after the 4th round and the UDFA's will contribute much, much more than last year's group in helping our Offense and Defense, perhaps not.
============
And, yes, I would be 100% fine with Vrabel drafting needed ST help with the late picks, as he did last year.
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And, yes, as the patriots have done for over 25 years, I do view the potential of 5th and later picks differently than the early pick, although we certainly have drafted good players in the 5th and 6th rounds. It happens; it just isn't likely.

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Agreed. However not every pick worked out last year. We still need to see what swinson is. He plays a position of need. If he takes a leap this season and pans out then that would have been great!

Also we have to see what Marcus Bryant becomes I'm of the mind you are still taking a OT because Moses who knows if he will make it though another full season with his age and injury history.

Currently Bryant & Hudson are the only back up OT I believe on the roster? Mumford Jr. Remains unsigned.

I'm going to Remain inclined to believe Edge will be the first pick off the board and I'm really leaning to OT in round 2.. TE in Round 3.. rounds 4-5 is where they take a WR and another Edge.