Zepset'S MOCK DRAFT
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Zepset'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 2, 2026

Mock1

  • Zepset DRAFTING FOR THE
    Patriots
Draft Selections
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 31 RND: 1 (NE)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Malachi Lawrence Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (NE)
Malachi Lawrence
DE-EDGE UCF
Sam Roush Head Shot
PICK: 95 RND: 3 (NE)
Sam Roush
TE Stanford
Jalon Kilgore Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (NE)
Jalon Kilgore
CB South Carolina
Will Lee III Head Shot
PICK: 131 RND: 4 (NE)
Will Lee III
CB Texas A&M
DJ Campbell Head Shot
PICK: 169 RND: 5 (NE)
DJ Campbell
OG Texas
Ted Hurst Head Shot
PICK: 189 RND: 6 (NE)
Ted Hurst
WR Georgia State
Dalton Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 200 RND: 6 (NE)
Dalton Johnson
S Arizona
Eli Heidenreich Head Shot
PICK: 207 RND: 6 (NE)
Eli Heidenreich
WR Navy
Zxavian Harris Head Shot
PICK: 210 RND: 6 (NE)
Zxavian Harris
DT Ole Miss
Luke Altmyer Head Shot
PICK: 247 RND: 7 (NE)
Luke Altmyer
QB Illinois
Draft Grade — Patriots
Overall C+
ValueD+ NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Patriots land in the muddy middle: C+.

The Patriots clearly saw something nobody else did in Malachi Lawrence, taking him 85 picks ahead of his grade. The board is not convinced. The good and the questionable cancel out to a C+.

Leaving running back unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. The Patriots indulged a want in Lee III while a need in running back stayed open. Landing Lee III that late papers over a lot of smaller sins.

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

So much rides on Max Iheanachor that the real verdict is a season or two away.

Pick Analysis
Pick31 Rnd1 Max Iheanachor
In pick No. 31 they get a cornerstone up front, though the board says they badly overpaid.
Pick63 Rnd2 Malachi Lawrence
Malachi Lawrence in the 63rd pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick95 Rnd3 Sam Roush
Sam Roush in the Round 3 slot is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick125 Rnd4 Jalon Kilgore
Jalon Kilgore slid further than he should have, and No. 125 is lovely value for the cornerback. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick131 Rnd4 Will Lee III
A surprising call. With running back still to address, they spent slot 131 on Will Lee III, a cornerback they were not short of.
Pick169 Rnd5 DJ Campbell
The board had cheaper options than DJ Campbell at the 169th overall pick, and it noticed. It fills a real need, too.
Pick189 Rnd6 Ted Hurst
Ted Hurst is a better player than the 189th overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick200 Rnd6 Dalton Johnson
They took Dalton Johnson at par in slot 200, which is nothing to complain about. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick207 Rnd6 Eli Heidenreich
Eli Heidenreich in pick 207 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick210 Rnd6 Zxavian Harris
They paid up for Zxavian Harris at Round 6, Pick 31 when waiting would have done the job. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick247 Rnd7 Luke Altmyer
Luke Altmyer at the Round 7 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.