The ‘ascending prospect’ the Patriots could take

Morning Sports Update

“Iheanachor is a mauler with the size, strength and athleticism to flourish as a heavy-handed right tackle.”

Max Iheanachor runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL rookie combine. He is projected as a possible Patriots pick in recent mock drafts. Michael Conroy / AP

By Hayden Bird

April 21, 2026 | 10:53 AM

3 minutes to read

The mock drafts are in the home stretch: The NFL Draft begins on Thursday evening in Pittsburgh. The Patriots are currently set to pick 31st overall, the penultimate selection in the first round.

Whether or not New England ultimately opts to pick at that spot (or trade it) remains to be seen. If the Patriots stand pat — pun intended — it appears offensive tackle could be the position that executive Eliot Wolf addresses.

In his latest mock draft, NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks projects the Patriots will pick Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor. In Brooks’s view, Iheanachor is a high-ceiling prospect who might need a little time to acclimate.

“This ascending prospect is not quite ready for prime time, but the presence of Morgan Moses will allow the Patriots to bring him along slowly,” said Brooks, referencing the Patriots’ current veteran right tackle. “Iheanachor is a mauler with the size, strength and athleticism to flourish as a heavy-handed right tackle.”

Moses, 35, was an important presence for the Patriots’ line in 2025, adding experience. His status in 2026 is still uncertain, but Wolf recently told reporters that his “expectation” is that Moses would return.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter also mentioned Iheanachor as a possible Patriots pick in his recent pre-draft rundown of reports.

“I have a sense the Patriots might have some interest in (Iheanachor),” Schefter said, as originally transcribed by Dakota Randall of NESN. “They have to operate under the assumption that AJ Brown’s going to be coming in, so they’re going to be in a good spot.”

The draft begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Trivia: Cavaliers guard James Harden officially moved into seventh place in all-time NBA postseason assists on Monday. Which Celtic did he pass in the process?

(Answer at the bottom.)

Hint: Drafted out of Kentucky, he started his career in Boston and went on to play for nine NBA teams in total over a 16-year career.

Scores and schedules:

More than 30,000 runners completed the 130th Boston Marathon on Monday. The 2025 champions in the men’s and women’s divisions emerged victorious yet again, with cool temperatures and a tailwind aiding some record-setting days (including men’s winner John Korir, who broke the course record with a time of 2:01:52).

Elsewhere, the Red Sox got an 8-6 win over the Tigers. Boston begins a home series against the Yankees this evening at 6:45 p.m.

The Celtics and Bruins both play Game 2 of their respective first-round playoff series tonight. The Celtics begin at 7 p.m. at TD Garden (leading the 76ers 1-0 in series), while the Bruins start at 7:30 p.m. in Buffalo (trailing the Sabres 1-0).

Tomorrow, the Fleet host the Ottawa Charge at the Tsongas Center at 7 p.m.

More from Boston.com:

Probably the tallest runner: Zdeno Chara ran the Boston Marathon and posted a time of 3:18:13 (faster than his 2024 finish).

On this day: In 2002, Drew Bledsoe was traded to the Bills for a 2003 first-round pick. Dealing Bledsoe, formerly New England’s No. 1 overall pick and franchise quarterback, was the end of an era for the Patriots. Yet given the circumstances — the team had just won the Super Bowl with upstart Tom Brady — it eased the pain of trading the then-franchise passing leader to a division rival.

Daily highlight: Former Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark made some spectacular saves for the Senators on Monday night, though the Hurricanes won in overtime 3-2.

WE CANNOT BELIEVE LINUS ULLMARK KEPT THIS OUT 🤯 #StanleyCup

🇺🇸: @espn 2
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet & @TVASports pic.twitter.com/dU9f8td7Fs

— NHL (@NHL) April 21, 2026

Trivia answer: Rajon Rondo

Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.