New England Patriots
After years of high first-round selections following losing seasons, the New England Patriots now face a new reality — picking 31st in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The trip to the Super Bowl means Mike Vrabel’s Patriots will be picking 31st in the first round of next month’s NFL Draft.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
March 5, 2026 | 10:41 AM
4 minutes to read
COMMENTARY
Question: Did anyone else, perhaps subconsciously, kind of get used to the Patriots having a high-first-round pick?
It’s not that you want that, of course. Unless the pick was acquired via savvy trade, having a selection in, say, the top eight indicates you had a lousy season.
The Patriots endured a couple of legitimately lousy seasons, going 4-13 in Bill Belichick’s lame final year in 2023, then matching the miserable record in Jerod Mayo’s one-and-done in ’24.
Those back-to-back bummers resulted in the Patriots having the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, during which they chose North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. That’s obviously a seismic moment for the franchise, which much to the rest of the NFL’s chagrin found Tom Brady’s true successor just a half-decade after the latter took his final snap with the Patriots.
In the ’25 draft, they took LSU tackle Will Campbell at No. 4, a need-based selection that should result in the Patriots getting a very good player, even if he ends up at guard. (For the record, I don’t think he will, at least not early in his career. He was pretty good as a rookie until he injured his knee.)
It should be noted, too, that even after posting a mediocre 8-9 record in 2022, the Patriots ended up getting a player projected to go much higher at No. 17 in the following draft. Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez was the Patriots’ best player in Super Bowl LX, and he is on the very short list of the best at his position in the NFL.
An abundance of terrific players were drafted in Round 1 in 2023 (Bijan Robinson, Will Anderson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Devon Witherspoon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba), but in any hypothetical and logical redraft, Gonzalez would go in the top 10.
Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez had three pass breakups during the Super Bowl, including this pass intended for Jaxon Smith-Njigba during the second quarter. – Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff
This brief recap of recent much-anticipated Patriots drafts stands as a reminder of how much has changed heading into the 2026 draft next month, even if we haven’t adjusted to that change — oh, right, the Patriots pick 31st — quite yet.
I’ll tell you this: The more I think about what the Patriots’ options could be with that No. 31 pick, the more apparent it becomes that they’re in an excellent position to add high-end talent to a team that won 17 games (playoffs included), made the Super Bowl, and still has a whole bunch of areas of need as it builds a core around Maye, Gonzalez, and defensive tackle Milton Williams.
Most years, we have a pretty good sense of what the Patriots will do with their No. 1 pick. This year, because of their unusual and enviable circumstances as a conference champion with a franchise QB, respected coach, and the money to add talent, it’s a bit of a mystery. Because even at No. 31, they should have an assortment of appealing options, whether they keep the pick or trade it. And it’s awfully fun to ruminate on all of their possibilities. So, ruminate away.
If they keep the pick, it seems a decent bet that they’ll aim to add an edge pass rusher, which executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf has noted as a position of strength in this draft. It’s certainly a need for the Patriots, with bargain find K’Lavon Chaisson headed to free agency and the inefficient Harold Landry turning 30 before next season. Missouri’s Zion Young and Miami’s Akheem Mesidor frequently pop up in mock drafts as potential Patriots.
Given the steep costs of signing an established pass rusher or trading for one, it makes a ton of sense to try to land one in the draft. Of course, if the Patriots traded the No. 31 pick in a package for Raiders five-time Pro Bowl selection Maxx Crosby, it would be impossible not to be enthusiastic about what the relentless pass rusher might do for the Patriots defense, assuming the price isn’t too steep. (Not-so-fun fact: The Raiders took Crosby with the 106th pick in the 2019 draft, five picks after the Patriots took tackle Yodny Cajuste.)
It’s generally not a wise idea for teams still trying to build a young core to trade a first-round pick (or picks) for a pricey veteran. But the No. 31 pick? For someone who almost assuredly will be a huge and immediate help for a team that is still building, yes, but also trying to sustain success? I’m for it.
Yes, that is my way of saying the Patriots should trade for A.J. Brown if the Eagles’ price becomes reasonable. According to multiple recent reports, the Eagles want a first-round pick and more for Brown, who has 339 receptions for 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns in four seasons with the franchise.
That is steep, especially since Brown sure seemed disgruntled for much if not most of last season in Philadelphia. Ideally, the Eagles would accept a package of picks similar to what the Seahawks got for DK Metcalf last March: a 2025 second-rounder (No. 52 overall), a seventh-rounder, and a late-round pick swap.
If the Eagles don’t come down from their price? The Patriots should still do it, presuming that’s what coach Mike Vrabel wants. He knows Brown better than most, having coached him with the Titans for the first three seasons of the receiver’s career. Titans ownership’s decision to trade Brown against Vrabel’s wishes is one of the reasons it went sour for him in Tennessee. (Telling Patriots fans “it’s not like this everywhere” during his Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony during a bye week while he was still coaching the Titans is presumably another.)
Vrabel’s history with Brown — and the receiver’s obvious skill-set fit with Maye’s strengths — are reasons enough to be willing to give up that first-rounder to bring him to Foxborough.
If they don’t? There are still plenty of appealing options in that No. 31 spot. It’s a late pick, later than we’ve been used to in recent years, but it comes with plenty of intriguing possibilities.
Chad Finn
Chad Finn is a sports columnist for Boston.com. He has been voted Favorite Sports Writer in Boston in the annual Channel Media Market and Research Poll for the past four years. He also writes a weekly sports media column for the Globe and contributes to Globe Magazine.
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