Patriots Mailbag: Will the Pats Surprise in Round 1 of the NFL Draft?
With just days remaining until the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots remain embroiled in the process of building their roster for the upcoming season.
While the Pats continue to evaluate the manner in which they will invest their 11 coveted pieces of draft capital, coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf must forge a path to a continued bright future in New England.
As the NFL universe continues to keep close watch on the latest moves, Patriots On SI is proud to once again open its mailbag to answer some of the most pressing questions surrounding the defending AFC Champions.
Hi Mike. What's the most feasible yet biggest surprise you think the Pats could pull with pick No. 31?
From: Clare Cooper (@clazzyclare on X)
Hi Clare! Thank you, as always, for the great question. After consecutive Top-5 selections in 2024 and 2025, the Pats deep playoff run places them back in familiar territory in 2026 - selecting at the bottom of the first round. While any team, including the Patriots, would prefer to hold prime draft capital heading into this week's events, this season's draft class is not being heralded for its deep talent pool. In fact, there appears to be a shortage of top-flight players at premium positions.
For that reason, I would be most surprised to see the Patriots attempt to move up from their current selection. The latter part of the first round is widely considered the "sweet spot" in this particular draft class. As such, the Pats could add an impact player at the defensive edge, offensive line or … much to your delight ... tight end, while standing pat at 1.
Although the concept may not be likley, it is not inconceivable. In his most recent remarks to the media, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf revealed that the possibility of targeting a player ahead of pick 31 is indeed on the table - and, in the process, satisfying your condition of "feasibility."
"We do have some flexibility," Wolf said. "I think it'll depend a little bit on how the board falls. If we view there's a player that we need to go get, we'll be open to those opportunities."
What role do you see DeMario ‘Pop' Douglas playing in the offense this season? Can you see him taking a leap?
From: Stephanie (@smars319 on X)
Hi Stephanie. Great question. I have always been a fan of Pop's on-field prowess. Although he had a statistically-regressed campaign in 2025 - logging just 31 catches for 447 yards and three touchdowns - he has all the tools necessary to thrive in the Pats' offense this season. Even though this draft class has the chance to produce several soild slot receivers at the pro level, Douglas should remain a Patriot.
Routinely undeterred by questions surrounding his size, the Liberty product is most effective out of the slot in short yardage. In order to compensate for the usual height differential with his opponent, he has developed a knack of anticipating defenders attacking him - a strategy which has served him well to date. However, he also demonstrated the skill set to evade tacklers when he had the ball in his hands in open space. In short, Douglas' shiftiness and speed made him one of the most explosive playmakers on the roster.
In Josh McDaniels' offense, slot receivers have been known to thrive - as the position tends to be a focal point in his schemes. Much like ex-Pats Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman, Douglas has the prowess to find success both before and after the catch. He has an above-average burst along with the speed in his stride to be a factor in New England's offensive attack - whether it be horizontally or vertically. Accordingly, Douglas should be poised to see an increase in targets this season.
Last season, Mike Vrabel got a bunch of his guys from Tennessee. What are the best players currently available that are Vrabel's ex-players?
From: LordSavageOfTheDark (@LordSavageODark on X)
Greetings, Lord Savage. Thanks for the great question. Since his arrival in January 2025, Vrabel has not been shy about surrounding himself professionally with both players and coaches he knows well. With defensive captains Harold Landry and Robert Spillane once again expected to play prominent roles in the Pats' defense this season, New England wasted little time in securing the services of safety Kevin Byard, reserve defensive back Mike Brown and cornerback Kindle Vildor - all previous Vrabel disciples during his time as the Tennessee Titans head coach. Although several of his former players have found new homes for 2026, a handful remain on the open market, including …
Joel Bitonio: A 12-year NFL veteran, Bitonio was still among the best pass-blocking guards in the NFL in 2025, allowing just two sacks across 686 pass blocking snaps for the Cleveland Browns. He spent time with Vrabel in Cleveland during the 2024 season
D.J. Reader: The 6-foot-3, 330-pound nose tackle spent two seasons (2016-17) under Vrabel's tutelage, when the "HC of the NEP" was a both a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans. Reader also played under Patriots assistant head coach Terrell Williams with the Detroit Lions in 2024. He has 328 tackles, 12.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his career.
David Njoku: With his 6-foot-4, 246-pound frame and athleticism, Njoku is a seam stretcher who can create isolation matchups in the low red zone. While health concerns will continue to surround him [having missed 11 games in the past two seasons due to injury] Njoku was solid when healthy. Last season, Njoku played in 12 games, catching 33 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns with the Browns.
Hey, Bossman Mike. If a Top 150 draft board prospect drops, will teams be willing to trade for those late picks in the late rounds?
From: Hal Bent (@halbent01 on X)
Hello Hal. Thanks for the great question. For all of the doubt being cast on this season's draft class, there is still a great deal of depth at edge rusher, tight end and wide receiver. Coincidentally, this year's class is being touted as "talent rich" at those positions. In that regard, I do not believe that anything can be ruled out as potential strategy. Vrabel, Wolf and the Pats brass have proven during their tenure in Foxborough that they are willing to go the extra effort in order to acquire their top targets.
New England currently possesses to fourth-rounders (nos. 125, 131) and four sixth-round selections (191, 198, 202 and 212.) Should a running back or linebacker - positions at which the Class of 2026 is not particularly deep - drop into day 3, I would expect New England to leave no stone unturned in attempting to acquire a potential draft diamond in the rough.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Mailbag: Will the Pats Surprise in Round 1 of the NFL Draft?.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 9:30 AM.