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Some news and notes ahead of tonight’s New England Patriots draft:
1) Round one of the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off tonight, with the Patriots set to make a pick with the 31st overall selection.
So far, that seems to be the plan, at least barring any trades. The latest mock drafts certainly have some interesting names on the table, with both offensive tackle and edge seeming to be the main priorities.
ESPN’s Field Yates & Mel Kiper Jr. have New England selecting Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, while USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz has them taking Texas A&M linebacker Cashius Howell. Our own Mark Morse has the Patriots targeting UCF edge player Malachi Lawrence.
With Morgan Moses’ future beyond 2026 likely in doubt, targeting an offensive tackle certainly feels like potentially the larger priority. Marcus Bryant was a player who saw a fair amount of action on special teams in 2025, with that time likely playing a role in his growth over the course of the season. The other hope is that Caedan Wallace might also be in the mix this summer, although it’s probably safe to say that this upcoming camp might be a make-or-break one for him.
But either way, they definitely need some help. Following the departure of Vederian Lowe in free agency and Thayer Munford, at least to this point, not being brought back, the club is already down two players at tackle, and adding depth is going to need to be a priority. It’s just a matter of where it’s going to come from, and we’ll find out beginning tonight exactly how they’ll approach it.
Edge rusher also seems to be an area they’ll target, especially given the comments from both Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel this spring. That was a position that was mentioned multiple times and injecting some youth there is also going to be necessary. The club let K’Lavon Chaisson move on in free agency, with Chaisson having been the Patriots’ most effective pass-rusher down the stretch. They did add Dre’Mont Jones, and are likely hoping Harold Landry can return to form.
But getting after the quarterback has been something that’s been mentioned, and it’s been no secret they feel this draft should provide plenty of options. As a result, it should be interesting to see over the next couple of days exactly how they attack that.
2) It appears if there was any doubt involving the rumors with head coach Mike Vrabel and now-former reporter for The Athletic, Dianna Russini, the last few days have done little to put those to rest.
Vrabel’s media appearance two days ago, where he admitted he’s “had some difficult conversations” both within the confines of the stadium and, more importantly, at home, was the first indication there might have been merit to the rumors. Now, Vrabel only added more fuel to that following another statement he released via Mike Reiss of ESPN, which will see him take time away from the team this weekend.
The Patriots head coach said he plans to be away from the club “seeking counseling,” which will see him miss the final day of the draft on Saturday.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said Wednesday night. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.
“I have always wanted to lead by example and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
3) This is a disappointing turn of events for Vrabel, who initially dismissed the accusations when this story first came to light. It unfortunately alters the perception of him locally, especially given that Vrabel was a breath of fresh air and someone who completely changed the tenor of things after being hired.
He spoke of family, accountability, and seemed like just the leader they needed coming off of the previous two years. Given both the history with former head coach Bill Belichick and the recent events with Belichick over the past year, Vrabel’s arrivel helped push all of that to the side. His command and approach were refreshing, and it felt like he put the train back on the tracks after a rough 2024 campaign.
As he settled in and things started to fall into place, it felt like he cleared the slate, putting the focus back on a coach and a football team that was both fun to watch and root for.
But like it or not, what happened over the last three weeks did do enough put a bit of a damper on that.
Instead, he’s tarnished that reputation, and while he said earlier this week that the conversations he’s had within the organization and with the players have been “positive and productive,” the odds are unfortunately pretty good that their view of him was definitely impacted. The same can likely be said outside the building.
Vrabel spoke about the fans being important to him, and football this fall, should the Patriots get off to a strong start, will likely help from that standpoint put this on the back burner. However, any adversity where the mention of the words “integrity” or “accountability” are used will certainly have a different feel to them moving forward.
For now, Vrabel’s putting in the time and the effort to try and take care of things at home, and best wishes to him.
4) Saturday is day three of the NFL Draft, which will be the day Vrabel will not be with the team, and it involves rounds 4-7, which certainly played a big role in their success in 2025.
Last April, the team ended up taking the following players as part of that 2025 Patriots Draft class over that span:
Round 4:
106th overall – Craig Woodson, S – California
137th overall (via SEA) – Joshua Farmer, DT – Florida State
Round 5:
146th overall (via CAR) – Bradyn Swinson, LB – LSU
Round 6:
182nd overall (via DET) – Andres Borregales, K – MIA
Round 7:
220th overall – Marcus Bryant, OT – Missouri
251st overall (via KC) – Julian Ashby, LS – Vanderbilt
257th overall (via KC) – Kobee Minor, CB – Memphis
Woodson went on to be the most notable player from that group, having played 950 snaps on defense during the regular season in 2025 (93.2%). The club also landed their new long-snapper and kicker in Julian Ashby and Andy Borregles, respectively.
Swinson, Minor, and Farmer each saw limited action, while Bryant was a notable factor on special teams. But the fact the entire draft class was involved still remains an impressive footnote from last year.
With Vrabel not on hand, the onus likely falls on both Wolf and Ryan Cowden to take what they know about Vrabel and the coaching staff’s preferences and hopefully bring in players that fit what they’re looking for.
The team has eight selections on day three, two in Round 4 (125, 131), one in Round 5 (171), Four in Round 6 (191, 198, 202, 212), and one in Round 7 (247).
Their picks before day 3 include Round 1 (31), Round 2 (63), and Round 3 (95).
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