Patriots' Safety Draft Targets

0:00On April 21st, the 2026 NFL draft is less than 10 days out, and the New England Patriots are finalizing their board while sitting at the germ, 31st pick. That's a big drop from their back-to-back top five selections. Elliott Wolf called this safety class weak overall, but the Pats could still hunt for depth at the position. Their current safety group looked solid up top. Fourth rounder Craig Wittzen led the team in defensive snaps last year and balled out in Super Bowl 60. They added veteran Kevin Byard, who's 33 but fresh off seven picks and first team all-pro honors. Depth comes from Dale Pettis, New Sinie Mike Brown, plus John Saunders Jr. and Brendan Schuhler. A few prospects stand out as perfect fits. Toledo's Emanuel McNeill Warren, ranked 23rd overall, brings versatility, range, and ball skills. They even hosted him on a pre-draft visit. TCU's Bud Clark, at 89, handles everything from deep coverage to run support with 15

1:00career picks. Meanwhile, Penn State's Zaky Wheatley, 94th ranked, offers height and zero penalties in college, and he visited too. Arizona's 21-year-old Genesis Smith is a ranger center fielder at 108. Kansas State's VJ Payne has rare size and 4.4 speed at 121, while Maryland's Jalen Husky, 198, packs 11 picks, and met privately with the team. Guys like Oregon's Dillian Thinnamen might go early, but the pads have trade down flexibility in other names like AJ, Halsey, or Jalen Kilgore in the mix to keep the secondary fresh moving forward. That's the story for today, and if you'll news today, Driven by AI.