What are our biggest needs in the 2026 Draft

[mayoclinic]

"I'll have the 2025 Stribling 'De'Zhaun of Music' Riesling Auslese, please."

 

[manxman2601]

Or drop a late pick on Stribling (sounds like a German Riesling) if no WR is drafted at that point.

re: Chism. Well, they easily could have cut him at this point with all the injuries, etc. 2 game tryout.

Agreed. They obviously see something in him.

 

[manxman2601]

"I'll have the 2025 Stribling 'De'Zhaun of Music' Riesling Auslese, please."

The binkyist of all wines. Unless you count Chateau Stukes.

 

[BobDigital]

I have come to the conclusion trying to order them after a certain point is pointless. Instead it is better to put them into categories. What needs are absolutely vital and what aren't?

Our vital needs are IOL (After we cut Onwenu) and pass rush (particularly from the edge). You can't take this team where it wants to go without both being address
.
Secondary needs are WR1. We can make due with what we have to a degree... but we've seen when teams drop back our guys have trouble getting open vs better secondaries/defenses. We need to make this not viable for other teams. Improving our OL helps this as a OL that can hold even vs a good 3 or 4 longer helps... but we also need a top tier weapon to make this not really work as well as it does. After that is depth in the secondary. We have very little after our top 5 options (2 S and 3 CBs). This needs to be improved as injuries happen.

After those things i am fine going BPA.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I have come to the conclusion trying to order them after a certain point is pointless. Instead it is better to put them into categories. What needs are absolutely vital and what aren't?

Our vital needs are IOL (After we cut Onwenu) and pass rush (particularly from the edge). You can't take this team where it wants to go without both being address
.
Secondary needs are WR1. We can make due with what we have to a degree... but we've seen when teams drop back our guys have trouble getting open vs better secondaries/defenses. We need to make this not viable for other teams. Improving our OL helps this as a OL that can hold even vs a good 3 or 4 longer helps... but we also need a top tier weapon to make this not really work as well as it does. After that is depth in the secondary. We have very little after our top 5 options (2 S and 3 CBs). This needs to be improved as injuries happen.

After those things i am fine going BPA.

Great idea. I agree EDGE and OL are our vital needs. I think the OL need is "before and after we cut Onwenu".

My secondary needs are coverage LB, FS, WR1, and a developmental TE.

Hopefully most of these needs can be filled in. The new regime seems better at identifying FAs and draft picks. Having said that, Vrabel understands that middle tier guys are vital also.

So a follow on exercise after agreeing on the primary and secondary needs is to target where to put the top tier (Day 1 and 2) guys, and where to put the middle tier guys (Day 3 and UDFA). Like:

EGDE - Day 1 or should it be LB since that position is devalued? The Pats went RB early in Day 2 last year. IOL - Can we find a RT to convert to RG in Day 2, or should we target Day 3? I always want all the needs filled on Day 1 or 2 - LOL.

 

[mayoclinic]

Don't agree on WR1 as a need. A nice thing to have, but WR has been fine.

 

[manxman2601]

EGDE - Day 1 or should it be LB since that position is devalued?

I hate to be this guy, but BPA FTW. If you're sitting there with Matayo Uigalelei and Sonny Styles on the board, you go with Styles every time. Now if it's TJ Parker v CJ Allen, that's be a different debate.

Having said that, if it's TJ Parker v Sonny Styles, that's where the debate gets interesting. Both are day 1 starters, Styles has the bigger upside but Parker still has some upside at a position of greater value. Both have fairly high floors. I genuinely don't know where I'd fall on that debate. Probably Styles.

 

[mayoclinic]

Styles all the way.

BPA all the way.

The Pats will likely pick in the 26-32 range. Assuming they declare, 3 QBs (Mendoza, Moore and Simpson) will go early.

Guys I would consider worthy of taking with our 1st round pick:

RB (1) Love
WR (3-4) Tyson, Tate, Lemon, +/- Concepcion
TE (1) Sadiq
OT (4-5) Goosby, Freeling, Fano, Mauigoa, +/- Lomu

IOL (1-3) Ioane, +/- Pregnon, Siereveld

DT (3) Woods, Banks, McDonald
EDGE (4-5) Bailey, Banks, Faulk, Parker, +/- Pierre
LB (2) Reese, Styles
S (1) Downs
CB (3) McCoy, Delane, Terrell

That's 23, plus another possible 5. Some of those should be available. There are a number of other borderline DBs.

It's a deep draft. If a clear top-20 talent slips, you take him regardless of position.

 

[manxman2601]

Team needs after that game.

Erm.......well Brendan Schooler wasn't very good

 

[Clonamery]

Team needs after that game.

Erm.......well Brendan Schooler wasn't very good

He's not a Safety.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

He's not a Safety.

Defending that long TD run was Schooler and Battle at safety. Neither one is a safety. Schooler was abysmal, and who knows what Battle was doing as well.

On the bright side (always look on the bright side), we feel better about Woodson and Hawkins .

 

[mayoclinic]

Woodson and Hawkins almost Ronnie Lott and Ed Reed in comparison.

 

[manxman2601]

Did Efton Chism pass Pop Douglas on the depth chart yesterday? Is Douglas expendable for the '26 season allowing the roster space for the team to draft a WR?

 

[Clonamery]

Did Efton Chism pass Pop Douglas on the depth chart yesterday? Is Douglas expendable for the '26 season allowing the roster space for the team to draft a WR?

I think it's fair to pose the question. I think you can Draft the right WR and still carry everyone thru TC.

 

[manxman2601]

I think it's fair to pose the question. I think you can Draft the right WR and still carry everyone thru TC.

True, but to carry a drafted WR through next season someone will have to be cut/traded. I don't think it'll be Hollins or Diggs because of what they bring to the roster character wise so I think Pop would be the odd man out. Maybe trade Boutte? I like him, I just wish he offered more volume in terms of receptions.

 

[scott99]

Tough to say what our needs are pre free agency. I think building up the Oline still needs to be stressed, Defense (every position) needs to be stressed. And I feel we MUST find our TE of the future. Hooper is 31, turns 32 in October, and was only signed to a 1 year deal this offseason. He definitely hasn’t been anywhere near as productive as last year (45 catches in 2024, 20 catches in 2025). They need to find our next good young pass catching TE in this draft. I’d say it’s more of a need than WR, though I’d love to land a stud young WR as well.

 

[captain stone]

Don't agree on WR1 as a need. A nice thing to have, but WR has been fine.

Things can change quickly...

 

[captain stone]

Did Efton Chism pass Pop Douglas on the depth chart yesterday? Is Douglas expendable for the '26 season allowing the roster space for the team to draft a WR?

Yeah Douglass' lack of snaps has been one of the big surprises of the season to me.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Did Efton Chism pass Pop Douglas on the depth chart yesterday? Is Douglas expendable for the '26 season allowing the roster space for the team to draft a WR?

A bit too early to tell, since Douglas was limited in practice all week.

We'll have more data this week.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Depends on what they do with Diggs, Barmore and Owenu, but right now Edge is a massive need. Other major needs:

LB, G, C, RB, S.