DrFootball'S MOCK DRAFT
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DrFootball'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 20, 2026

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Mock drafts from DrFootball

Draft 1 Test Jan 2026

  • DrFootball DRAFTING FOR THE
    Patriots
Draft Selections
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 62 RND: 2 (NE)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Jaeden Roberts Head Shot
PICK: 80 RND: 3 (NE)
Jaeden Roberts
OG Alabama
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 94 RND: 3 (NE)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (NE)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 130 RND: 4 (NE)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Eric McAlister Head Shot
PICK: 168 RND: 5 (NE)
Eric McAlister
WR TCU
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 189 RND: 6 (NE)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Peyton Bowen Head Shot
PICK: 200 RND: 6 (NE)
Peyton Bowen
S Oklahoma
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 207 RND: 6 (NE)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
Fernando Carmona Head Shot
PICK: 209 RND: 6 (NE)
Fernando Carmona
OT Arkansas
Rueben Owens II Head Shot
PICK: 246 RND: 7 (NE)
Rueben Owens II
RB Texas A&M
Draft Picks Received
Jaeden Roberts Head Shot
PICK: 80 RND: 3 (BAL)
Jaeden Roberts
OG Alabama
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (BAL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (BAL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (BAL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Avieon Terrell Head Shot
PICK: 30 RND: 1 (MIN)
Avieon Terrell
CB Clemson
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players Gained
Head Shot
Justin Jefferson
WR
Head Shot
Dayton Wade
WR
Players traded away
Head Shot
DeMario Douglas
WR
Draft Grade — Patriots
Overall B
ValueC+ NeedB TradesA+ FutureC
The Patriots won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B.

Nobody had Patrick Payton this high, and it is not close. The Patriots reached 69 spots to get him at the 130th pick.

They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. Leaving interior defensive lineman unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Branch.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.

Pick Analysis
Pick62 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
A quiet steal in Round 2, Pick 30: Jake Slaughter for less than the market said. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick80 Rnd3 Jaeden Roberts
Jaeden Roberts in the Round 3 slot is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick94 Rnd3 Jake Golday
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Jake Golday in the 94th pick. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick125 Rnd4 Zachariah Branch
Zachariah Branch slid further than he should have, and No. 125 is lovely value for the wide receiver. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick130 Rnd4 Patrick Payton
A wild overpay on Patrick Payton in the 130th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick168 Rnd5 Eric McAlister
By-the-book stuff, Eric McAlister at slot 168 squarely in line with his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick189 Rnd6 Thaddeus Dixon
Good price on Thaddeus Dixon in the 189th pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick200 Rnd6 Peyton Bowen
A reach for Peyton Bowen in slot 200; a little patience would have been rewarded. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick207 Rnd6 Riley Mahlman
They left a pile of value on the table to take Riley Mahlman this early at Round 6, Pick 28. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick209 Rnd6 Fernando Carmona
They jumped the gun on Fernando Carmona, taking him earlier than his grade liked. The roster fit checks out.
Pick246 Rnd7 Rueben Owens II
Rueben Owens II at pick No. 246 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the running back. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.