Only two short weeks have passed since the Patriots season came to a disappointing end in a loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.

While the team was playing in the postseason, the Patriots personnel department was preparing for the upcoming offseason by attending the college All-Star game circuit and more. Still, the 18 teams that didn't make the playoffs have been working on the offseason for nearly seven weeks now. Honestly, I'm further behind in free agency and draft prep compared to recent offseasons. Again, woe is us for following the Pats Super Bowl run. Before we get into some draft prospects, head coach Mike Vrabel and EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf will also deliver a state of the union on the AFC champions at the Indiana Convention Center. From a roster-building standpoint, I'm hoping we get some clarity on whether the Patriots plan to slow-play their early success under Vrabel or go "all in" after being one win away from banner No. 7.

Last offseason, the Pats shelled out a league-high $192.9 million in guaranteed money on 19 free agents to jump-start the Vrabel era and got a great return on their investment. Free-agent additions Milton Williams, Stefon Diggs, Robert Spillane, Carlton Davis, K'Lavon Chaisson, Morgan Moses, Garrett Bradbury, Mack Hollins, and others were key contributors for the AFC champs — money well spent. After reaching Super Bowl LX, there's probably an urge to push all their chips into the middle of the table to finish the job. A few splash additions could put them over the top, with most of the roster that just won the AFC championship returning (only six UFAs).

However, there's also a chance that Vrabel and Wolf take a more calculated approach to their second offseason together. There are cautionary tales of teams that have read too much into huge one-year turnarounds. In 2021, the Patriots went on a free-agent spending spree that netted 10 wins, then dropped to 8-9 (2022) before bottoming out in 2023-24. Most recently, the Commanders went from an NFC title game appearance to five wins last season. Yes, QB Jayden Daniels missed games due to injury, but there's a line of thought that the Patriots shouldn't stray too far away from rebuilding by pushing their chips in the middle too early. New England could use its draft capital to start preparing for life after Moses (35), Diggs (32), Spillane (30), Davis (29), and TE Hunter Henry (31). When the Patriots dynasty was in its prime, they were staying a year ahead, so maybe there's a focus this offseason on long-term roster planning.

Lastly, the other major storyline for the Patriots at the combine is a potential contract extension for star CB Christian Gonzalez. As a 2023 draft pick, Gonzalez is extension-eligible this offseason. He followed up an All-Pro second season with his first Pro Bowl nod in 2025 and was superb in the Super Bowl. Gonzalez has earned a second contract with the team and it's better to get these things done early.

When you go from a four-win team to a conference champion, the vibes in Indy will be high and full of praise for New England. Having said that, the Patriots next steps to build on last season and continue improving around MVP runner-up Drake Maye are all that matter now — we are on to 2026. With that in mind, let's get to know the top first-round targets for the Patriots who will take center stage at the NFL Scouting Combine this week.

1. Breaking Down the Patriots Biggest Needs Heading into the 2026 Offseason

Before we start rattling off some names, let's set the table by going over the Patriots biggest needs. By doing so, it'll make more sense why we are focusing on certain positions in our initial prospect breakdowns. From this perspective, New England's biggest needs are as follows:

• Offensive Line: The Patriots playoff run revealed that they still have some work to do in the trenches. More specifically, a starting left guard (with Jared Wilson best long-term at center) and a future starter at right tackle to eventually replace Moses.
• Wide Receiver: Like the O-Line, this group had some struggles vs. better competition in the postseason. Ideally, the Pats could pair an explosive outside receiver with Diggs to create a one-two punch.
• Edge rusher: New England schemed up a pass rush by increasing its blitz rate to over 40% in the playoffs, but an impact pass rusher could be the final piece to this defense. Chaisson is also a free agent.
• Tight end: Henry is 31, TE2 Austin Hooper is a free agent, and the Patriots need to be in the business of adding explosive playmakers in all shapes and sizes.
• Safety: Starting S Jaylinn Hawkins is another key free agent. Plus, they might want to get a sturdier nickel option while dipping into some three-safety packages.
• Other needs: CB, LB, RB3.

2. Offensive Line: What Needs to be Done to Continue Retooling the O-Line?

During the regular season, the Patriots went from a bottom-tier offensive line in 2024 to an above-average unit in their run to an AFC East title. However, the playoffs were a slightly different story.

According to Pro Football Network's O-Line impact score, the Patriots had the 12th-ranked offensive line during the 2025 regular season, thanks to adding four new starters last offseason. New England upgraded at right tackle (Moses) and center (Bradbury) in the veteran market, then drafted No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell (LT) and LG Jared Wilson (95th overall). The Patriots certainly took a step forward in the trenches last season, but a shakier postseason presented them with some offseason questions about how to move forward with this group.

Starting with the rookies, Vrabel has already stated publicly that Campbell is the team's starting left tackle, so we'll operate under that assumption. However, Wilson's future might be at center and the Patriots need to start preparing for life after 35-year-old Morgan Moses at right tackle. The one holdover from the prior regime, RG Mike Onwenu, is also entering the final year of his contract and currently carries a $25 million cap hit. The Pats could be in the market for a starting left guard to facilitate Wilson's finding a long-term home at center, with Wolf stating that the team views Wilson as a future center when they drafted him last April, while separating the two youngsters and getting a more mauling type of left guard could do wonders for Campbell.

Given his measurables, a wider-bodied left guard who takes up more square footage and has some length and play strength could complement Campbell's skillset nicely. Plus, adding a veteran to fill that role could also settle things down on the left side. That said, there are a few left guard prospects to know who could also be in play. For the record, I'm anti-drafting guards in the first round due to positional value, but if the Pats brass views Wilson as a center, left guard is one of the more glaring needs on New England's roster.

The top pure guard prospect is Penn State's Vega Ioane, who is the exact type of bulldozer that would be an ideal fit next to Campbell. Unfortunately, Ioane is likely to go inside the top 20. Oregon LG Emmanuel Pregnon is another power-oriented prospect. Pregnon plays with a wide base, stout anchor, and people-moving power in the run game. He can either quick-set or stall out bull rushers and create movement on base, duo, and angle blocks. Another option would be Iowa T/G Gennings Dunker, who projects as a tackle-to-guard convert. Dunker plays with a nasty demeanor and knock-back power as a true road-grader.

Along with finding a left guard, New England will probably remain in the tackle market for long-term Moses replacements. Clemson's Blake Miller and Arizona State RT Max Iheanachor are two college right tackles with intriguing pass-blocking upside. Miller needs to improve his pad level, eliminate forward leans, and play with his feet in the ground to become a more powerful blocker. But he's quick out of his stance and has the requisite foot speed to mirror high-side speed rushers. Iheanachor is a high-ceiling prospect who is relatively raw but already flashes the movement skills of an NFL starter. He also fared well against Texas Tech's star rush duo (two hurries allowed) and had a good week down in Mobile at the Senior Bowl.

As a team that needs to continue adding talent to the offensive line room, it's a relatively deep tackle draft and there are some legitimate plug-and-play guard options in the top-40.

3. All Eyes on Two First-Round Prospects and Day-Two 'My Guys' at Wide Receiver

Like the offensive line, it might be more appealing for the Patriots to go the veteran route to continue stacking talent at wide receiver, given their draft history and where they are as a win-now team.

Assuming they keep Diggs for another year, ideally, the Patriots could target a complementary outside receiver who can stretch the field and beat 1-on-1 backside coverage while Diggs roams inside. New England's current options in that role were solid, such as Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins, while second-year WR Kyle Williams continues to develop. Still, the playoffs saw defenses pay extra attention to Diggs, who was dictating coverage but not consistently beating double teams, while the outside receivers needed to do more to make defenses pay for clamping down on Diggs and Henry in the middle of the field.

Washington WR Denzel Boston has the traits to be a potential 1A or 1B type of receiver. Boston has incredible hands and body control as an elite downfield ball-winner. He is highly effective on multi-breaking vertical routes such as post-corners and stutter-and-go's, with enough fluidity at the top of routes to create passing windows. Maye putting the ball on a silver platter for Boston, who catches everything in his radius, would be a fun watch. He also has the alignment flexibility of a modern 'X' receiver, where he can run routes and block from tight splits or as a big slot in a similar mold as Falcons WR Drake London.

If you're looking for separation ability, Texas A&M's KC Concepcion brings that to the table. Concepcion is a lightning-quick 'Z' receiver prototype who creates ample separation with wicked route breaks and is a weapon when he's afforded a free release. He also forced 14 missed tackles as a ball carrier and has good speed to pull away from pursuing defenders. The hang-up here is that Concepcion and Diggs would have route-tree overlap, so the Texas A&M product is more of a Diggs replacement than a complementary prospect. Still, he would immediately inject real game-breaking speed into the offense.

Lastly, my current day-two draft crushes are Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt and Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell II. Sarratt consistently showed out while watching tape of his teammate, Omar Cooper Jr., as a crafty route-runner who moves like a smaller receiver but has good size (6-2, 209). Sarratt's game reminds me of former Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers. As for Brazzell, he's a 6-foot-5 burner who stacks press-man corners and runs through off-coverage with long-striding deep speed. The Tennessee wideout also has an enormous catch radius to "Moss" corners downfield and present a QB-friendly target on intermediate in-breakers, while flashing impressive fluidity to snap off routes. As a deep-ball artist, Brazzell feels like a great fit with Patriots QB Drake Maye.

For the Patriots, the question is whether Boston and Concepcion test their way out of the Pats range at No. 31, while we'll need to separate the early day-two cluster as well: Cooper, Sarratt, Brazzell, Malachi Fields (Notre Dame), Zachariah Branch (Georgia), and Chris Bell (Louisville/ACL recovery).

4. Early Impressions of a Very, Very Deep Class at Edge Rusher

The most-hyped position in this year's draft is a stacked group of edge rushers, with pundits predicting that as many as 15 prospects could be selected inside the top-100 in April.

During the postseason, the Patriots ramped up their blitz rate to 44.3%, generating pressure on over 37% of their opponents' drop-backs and recording 13 playoff sacks. New England obviously has the pass-rush juice on the interior with standout defensive tackles Christian Barmore and Milton Williams. However, Chaisson is now headed toward unrestricted free agency coming off a career year (career-high 54 pressures), while vet Harold Landry III saw a fast start to the 2025 season wane due to a lingering knee injury. There is a need to upgrade the Patriots standard four-man pass rush and possibly fill the starting void left by Chaisson.

With the insane depth in both the veteran market and the draft, New England could be patient with filling those needs, seeing that there's a surplus of talent at EDGE this offseason. Although it might be tempting to trade a haul for Maxx Crosby, Crosby might be only high-impact veteran who is possibly available. The more realistic move might be to add multiple capable pass-rushers, like how Seattle built its defensive line with waves of depth.

As for the draft, the first-round cluster we need to sort through is as follows: Cashius Howell (Texas A&M), Keldrick Faulk (Auburn), T.J. Parker (Clemson), Akheem Mesidor (Miami), and R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma). During initial film study, Howell stood out as a prototypical Patriot edge rusher at 6-2, 255 pounds, with the ability to turn a tight corner and feature a variety of pass-rush moves. Howell's game is similar to Landry's in that he's not the longest athlete, but he's a crafty rusher who has the fluidity to play on tackles' edges.

Other standouts were Thomas, a pure speed winner who fits New England's mold of prioritizing first-step explosiveness, and Mesidor. The Miami product rushed opposite top-10 prospect Reuben Bain Jr., flashing short-area quickness, a well-schooled rush package, and alignment flexibility to win inside. Faulk is also an intriguing option due to his fluidity and length, allowing him to play more reps straight-up over tackles or guards. The Auburn product is projected to go inside the top-20, but he's a bit of a tweener and is raw at just 21 years old, so he could slide in a stacked class. Based on the talent in the draft and need, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Patriots select an edge rusher with their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

5. An Early-or-Late Class of Tight Ends With Some Development Options for the Patriots

Last draft cycle, the tight end position had two studs in Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland that headlined a top-heavy class. However, this draft is meatier in the middle with only one potential blue-chipper. Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq is the prize of the tight end class. Although there are some buyer-beware elements to his production profile (1.72 YPPR in 2025), Sadiq has all the physical tools to blossom into a top tight end in the pros. He has a chiseled frame with an immediate burst to threaten vertically up the seams, win across the field, and is a capable blocker with room to grow technique-wise to become a difference-maker in the run game. In all likelihood, Sadiq will be drafted before the Patriots are on the clock.

From there, there's a sizable gap between the top tight end prospect and the projected run of tight ends in the middle rounds. On our go-to consensus board, Sadiq is 19th overall and the next tight end prospect is Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers at No. 66 overall. Still, that middle class will likely have a few hits, with yours truly's eyes gravitating toward Georgia TE Oscar Delp. Delp has impressive fluidity and burst as a receiver and the size (6-5, 245) to develop as a blocker. With so many names in those middle rounds, the combine will help us stack this tight end class, which should see around 10 prospects go from picks 65-150.

6. Safety Question: Box Safety or Free Safety-Types (Thienemen vs. McNeil-Warren)

If the Patriots lose starting S Jaylinn Hawkins in free agency, safety becomes a more pressing need to fill the spot next to rookie standout Craig Woodson. The Pats also didn't lean too much into dime (6 DBs) or three-safety packages last season, which are becoming more prevalent across the league. Many defenses are looking for versatile nickel-safeties who can cover the slot and take on strong-side run responsibilities vs. heavier personnel groupings (example: Seahawks S Nick Emmanwori).

Instead, the Pats played mostly three-corner nickel with NCB Marcus Jones, Hawkins, and Woodson. Furthermore, they transitioned away from their old hybrids, Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers, in favor of better deep-coverage players in Hawkins and Woodson. That transition suggests that New England wants safeties who have split and post-safety range, can match routes from depth, fill the alleys as force defenders in run support, and occasionally blitz in simulated pressures.

With that in mind, the two safeties projected to be available in the back-half of the first round are a fun case study on the Patriots safety archetype. Oregon S Dillon Thienemen does all the things they asked of Hawkins and Woodson well. He's a smooth deep-zone defender as a post/split-safety, robber, and Tampa-2 pole-runner. Thienemen can also match routes from the slot in quarters (palms) schemes, man-up receivers coming out of bunches, and run the alleys with effort and finish – he screams Patriots safety.

However, Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren could be the next Emmanwori. McNeil-Warren might not have Emmanwori's freakish athletic profile, but he's got size, physicality, and enough skill in coverage to be an impact defender. Although it might not be their most pressing first-round need, finding out who the Patriots would draft between McNeil-Warren and Thienemen would give us great insight into their big-picture plans in the secondary.

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