Jz'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

4/3/26

  • Jz DRAFTING FOR THE
    Patriots
Draft Selections
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 31 RND: 1 (NE)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Derrick Moore Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (NE)
Derrick Moore
DE-EDGE Michigan
Ted Hurst Head Shot
PICK: 95 RND: 3 (NE)
Ted Hurst
WR Georgia State
Gracen Halton Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (NE)
Gracen Halton
DL Oklahoma
Oscar Delp Head Shot
PICK: 131 RND: 4 (NE)
Oscar Delp
TE Georgia
Aamil Wagner Head Shot
PICK: 171 RND: 5 (NE)
Aamil Wagner
OT Notre Dame
Kaelon Black Head Shot
PICK: 191 RND: 6 (NE)
Kaelon Black
RB Indiana
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 198 RND: 6 (NE)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 202 RND: 6 (NE)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Jeremiah Wright Head Shot
PICK: 212 RND: 6 (NE)
Jeremiah Wright
OG Auburn
Eli Heidenreich Head Shot
PICK: 247 RND: 7 (NE)
Eli Heidenreich
WR Navy
Draft Grade — Patriots
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Patriots: B-.

The Patriots went off the board in a big way for Kaelon Black, 26 picks early. Conviction is one thing; this is another. Good, not great, and the B- says as much.

The quarterback spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. The Styles pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.

The roster is better shaped than it was, with edge rusher chief among the fixes.

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

Pick Analysis
Pick31 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In slot 31 they get a downhill thumper at linebacker, and a steal at that. Need was not the driver here.
Pick63 Rnd2 Derrick Moore
A straight-up fair deal on Derrick Moore at pick No. 63, value and slot in agreement. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick95 Rnd3 Ted Hurst
Ted Hurst at the 95th pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick125 Rnd4 Gracen Halton
Gracen Halton at the 125th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick131 Rnd4 Oscar Delp
By-the-book stuff, Oscar Delp at Round 4, Pick 31 squarely in line with his ranking. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick171 Rnd5 Aamil Wagner
They paid sticker price for Aamil Wagner in pick 171, and that is fine. It fills a real need, too.
Pick191 Rnd6 Kaelon Black
Kaelon Black at pick No. 191 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick198 Rnd6 VJ Payne
VJ Payne in the 198th pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick202 Rnd6 Thaddeus Dixon
They left a pile of value on the table to take Thaddeus Dixon this early at Round 6, Pick 21. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick212 Rnd6 Jeremiah Wright
No drama and no debate, Jeremiah Wright went about where he belonged in pick 212. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick247 Rnd7 Eli Heidenreich
Nothing to complain about; Eli Heidenreich went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.