Patriots' Draft Grades: A-plus for Super Bowl Contenders

0:00On April 2-8, the New England Patriots wrapped up the 2026 NFL draft, picking 31st overall after their Super Bowl run last year. Bumped them way down the board. They snagged nine new players total. Headlined by trade-ups for offensive tackle, Caleb Lomu in the first round and edge rusher, gave Joccas in the mall. Second, plus Titan Eli Raredin in the third. Those moves targeted big knees up front. Building on last year's top five pick, Will Campbell on the O-line, while boosting the pass rush that ranked. Just 21st impression rate. Lomu brings solid pass protection and versatility. Joccas packs power and speed off the edge, and Raredin offers blocking and receiving as a hunter. Henry successor, down the line. Experts handed out mostly B-grades across the board, with sporting news giving an A- for hitting immediate spots, and the ringer. A B-plus-4. Smart maneuvers from late in the order. Pats pop it when B-minus, noting optimism for starters by 2027, but some depth questions, and fans pulled mostly agreed with B's.

1:06Deeper picks, like corner, car-owned pruny, and tackles added speed and size for depth charts, while undrafted free agents keep the rookie buzz going. Now tied for third best AFC odds on Fandall, this haul sets New England up to defend that title without missing a B. That's the story for today, NFL News Today, driven by AI. I'm Corey with the story.