Jz'S MOCK DRAFT
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1/7/26

  • Jz DRAFTING FOR THE
    Patriots
Draft Selections
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 30 RND: 1 (NE)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 62 RND: 2 (NE)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Zakee Wheatley Head Shot
PICK: 94 RND: 3 (NE)
Zakee Wheatley
S Penn State
Domani Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (NE)
Domani Jackson
CB Alabama
Bryce Lance Head Shot
PICK: 130 RND: 4 (NE)
Bryce Lance
WR North Dakota State
Iapani Laloulu Head Shot
PICK: 168 RND: 5 (NE)
Iapani Laloulu
C Oregon
Darius Taylor Head Shot
PICK: 191 RND: 6 (NE)
Darius Taylor
RB Minnesota
Aamil Wagner Head Shot
PICK: 202 RND: 6 (NE)
Aamil Wagner
OT Notre Dame
Trinidad Chambliss Head Shot
PICK: 208 RND: 6 (NE)
Trinidad Chambliss
QB Ole Miss
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 211 RND: 6 (NE)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Daevin Hobbs Head Shot
PICK: 246 RND: 7 (NE)
Daevin Hobbs
DL Tennessee
Draft Grade — Patriots
Overall B-
ValueB+ NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Patriots.

The Patrick Payton selection is the head-turner. The Patriots reached 31 spots for him, and it will define how this weekend is remembered. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.

On value alone, Styles makes the weekend a net positive. The Patriots indulged a want in Styles while a need in tight end stayed open.

That tight end hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. They left with edge rusher solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.

In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.

Pick Analysis
Pick30 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
In No. 30 they get the heartbeat of the defense at a price that makes it sweeter. More want than need.
Pick62 Rnd2 Sonny Styles
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went linebacker with Sonny Styles while clear needs at tight end sat open.
Pick94 Rnd3 Zakee Wheatley
Somehow Zakee Wheatley was still sitting there in slot 94, and they pounced on premier safety value. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick125 Rnd4 Domani Jackson
Fair-plus on Domani Jackson, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick130 Rnd4 Bryce Lance
They did well to land Bryce Lance in the 130th overall pick, just ahead of his grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick168 Rnd5 Iapani Laloulu
Good price on Iapani Laloulu in the Round 5 slot, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick191 Rnd6 Darius Taylor
A reasonable price with a little left over, Darius Taylor in pick 191. It fills a real need, too.
Pick202 Rnd6 Aamil Wagner
Aamil Wagner is a better player than the 202nd overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick208 Rnd6 Trinidad Chambliss
Trinidad Chambliss at the 208th pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick211 Rnd6 Patrick Payton
They talked themselves into Patrick Payton at pick No. 211, and the board did not agree. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick246 Rnd7 Daevin Hobbs
They paid a round early for Daevin Hobbs in Round 7, Pick 30, more than the board wanted. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.