After prioritizing a long-term need at offensive tackle in the first round, the Patriots hit on two positions in the second and third rounds where the players have a clear path to immediately contribute in 2026.

Dating back to February, we've been discussing potential Patriots fits at edge rusher and tight end, with both head coach Mike Vrabel and personnel chief Eliot Wolf pointing to those positions as needs. On Friday night, New England targeted edge rusher Gabe Jacas in another trade up and selected TE Notre Dame Eli Raridon with their own third-round draft choice. The Patriots now have five picks remaining on day three of the draft: 171 (fifth), 191 (sixth), 198 (sixth), 212 (sixth), and 247 (seventh). The aggressiveness that the Patriots showed to avoid missing out on the run of first-round tackles and the last top-tier edge rusher in Jacas was shrewd maneuvering of the draft board.

Here are some initial thoughts on the Patriots selections of Jacas and Raridon on Friday night.

Second Round, 55th Overall - Illinois EDGE Gabe Jacas (6-4, 260)

Pro Comparison: Whitney Mercilus/Bud Dupree

After trading up in the first round on Thursday night, the Patriots traded up once again to target Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas, who is a Vrabel-type player due to his physical style of play.

The 21-year-old was a four-year starter for the Illini as an early breakout player when he was named a freshman All-American in 2022. Last season, he had a conference-best 11 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 41 total pressures to lead the team in all three categories to be named a second-team All-Big Ten honoree. Jacas exemplifies the "effort and finish" mantra that is a non-negotiable for the Patriots under Vrabel.

As a former state champion wrestler, Jacas was one of my top targets in the second round due to his rugged play demeanor and ability to grapple with blockers. You'd be hard-pressed to find an edge defender who plays with more raw power to dent the pocket as a bull-rusher and play through blocks as a run defender, setting firm edges or "spilling' runs by compressing pullers. He also has enough lower-body flexibility to use a dip-rip move to shorten corners, will be a weapon on line stunts, and can win inside with his quickness. Jacas isn't necessarily a speed-rusher, but his power-oriented game should translate into a full-time starting role.

Edge rusher was arguably the Patriots biggest need heading into the draft, which was well documented this offseason by New England's top decision makers. Although the team added free-agent edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones, the Pats moved on from starter K'Lavon Chaisson in free agency and Harold Landry III is recovering from a knee injury that limited him down the stretch last season. Behind their two veterans, Jones and Landry, second-year edge rushers Bradyn Swinson and Elijah Ponder round out the depth chart.

Patriots personnel chief Eliot Wolf noted a desire to add an edge rusher from a deep class at the position. As New England's first top-100 pick on the defensive side of the ball since 2023, Jacas should compete for a starting role early in his rookie contract.

Third Round, 95th Overall - Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon (6-6, 245)

Pro Comparison: Luke Musgrave

During the lead-up to this year's draft, head coach Mike Vrabel made it clear that he wanted to add a developmental tight end to the pipeline behind 31-year-old starter Hunter Henry.

"I love them. Give me nine of them. Get them all. Bring as many tight ends as we can get," Vrabel said earlier this offseason. "Just trying to find the right guy. Some of them are receiving, some of them are more at the line of scrimmage. We'll just try to come up with one that fits us best and see where we can draft them."

New England accomplished that objective by selecting the 22-year-old Notre Dame tight end with their own third-round pick on Friday night. Raridon's development stalled after he tore the ACL in his right knee once as a senior in high school (2021) and then re-tore the same ACL his freshman year of college (2022). Although he only had one year of college production due to injury, Raridon broke out with 32 catches for 482 receiving yards last season, averaging over 15 yards per catch as a big-play receiver.

Raridon then ran a 4.62s 40-yard dash on his way to a 9.6 out of 10 relative athletic score. He's a huge downfield target with massive hands (10.75"), and the speed to stretch the seams, run slot fades, and play-action crossers. From this perspective, Raridon's large catch radius makes him a very quarterback-friendly target, which should pair well with QB Drake Maye, who likes to throw the ball through the middle of the field.

The Notre Dame product has immense potential. However, his inexperience, with only 15 college starts under his belt, shows in his film. He needs to be more decisive as a route runner to find voids in zones and run by defenders with more urgent speed off the line of scrimmage. Raridon is also more of a straight-line athlete than someone who changes direction quickly to get open. As a run blocker, Raridon is high-cut, needs more consistent hand placement, and would benefit from adding some bulk to his frame. But there are some flashes of in-line blocking ability if he continues to develop his technique and play strength.

Overall, Raridon is a big-play receiver with developmental upside to be a possible successor to Henry, while adding some juice to the passing game early in his rookie contract as Henry's wingman.

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer