Every Expert Mock Draft First-Round Pick for the Patriots

Finally. The 2026 NFL Draft is here, and for the New England Patriots, that's a welcomed part of the offseason. We'll soon have clarification on what the team intends to do with each of their 11 draft picks this weekend, including who will be the first round choice at 31.

Is is going to be an offensive tackle to potentially replace Morgan Moses? How about an edge rusher to help bolster a defensive front that's missing pieces from the last year? Maybe if the Patriots want to get interesting, a tight end or defensive back could be the selection.

After months of speculation, here's where some draft experts have New England leaning -- and where their mock drafts might have missed the mark.

Sep 13, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young (9) celebrates after sacking Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns quarterback Daniel Beale (11) during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Matt Miller, ESPN

The pick: Missouri edge rusher Zion Young

Young is one of the players who could possibly be on the board when New England is on the clock. The Missouri pass rusher has speed and quickness to get after the quarterback, and the 22-year-old would be a welcomed pick to help ease the loss of both K'Lavon Chaisson and Anfernee Jennings.

It's a deep edge rusher class, so maybe the team lands on another player at the position to take in the first round. Regardless, Miller's mock draft has the Patriots addressing their biggest need and the need that should be chosen later tonight.

Field Yates, ESPN

The pick: Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu

I'm sure the Patriots don't expect Lomu -- one of the best tackles in this year's class -- to fall all the way to them, but crazier things have happened. Yates predicts that the Patriots snag an offensive tackle at the back end of the first round to help create a succession play for Moses at right tackle. The veteran is entering the final year of guaranteed money on his contract and is entering his age-35 season.

It would be smart for the Patriots to grab a tackle, but with limited talent expected to be on the board by the time they're on the clock, Lomu feels like a match made in heaven. It also feels widely far-fetched, and the Patriots may be better off addressing another need if he falls.

Ryan Wilson, CBS

The pick: Trade 31st overall to Arizona Cardinals (Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson) for 34th overall and more

A trade! While Wilson doesn't write what the trade terms are, it's safe to assume that the Cardinals would moving up to acquire Simpson in the first round. The Patriots, who have not shut the door on moving up and down in the draft, would be able to pocket Arizona's second rounder (34th overall) and an additional pick in the process.

Alabama's Ty Simpson (15) rushes in the second half of the College Football Playoff game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday Dec. 19, 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This feels like the most likely outcome throughout the entire draft. The reason why Arizona would be moving up is to jump the New York Jets, who are picking at 33. New England would be able to snag an extra draft pick, while also sticking it to their QB-needy division rival.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com

The pick: San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson

A cornerback on day one? The Patriots have Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones and Carlton Davis on the roster, and while the bottom-half of the depth chart looks murky, this may be a reach. Yes, Johnson has massive talent and could easily see himself taken in the first round. But the needs for the Patriots -- edge rusher, tackle, tight end -- vastly outweigh the need for what would ammount to a fourth cornerback to start the season.

Dane Brugler, The Athletic

The pick: Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor

If the Patriots don't trade down, or they don't go with an edge rusher, Iheanachor has been connected to the team so much that it would be silly not to assume he's the pick. When head coach Mike Vrabel attended his pro day, he got hands-on with the prospect and grappled with him on video. The Patriots would love to have an offensive tackle in the wings in case Moses retires soon (or Will Campbell gets kicked to guard at some point), and Iheanachor would be a great developmental pick.

There's the argument that taking an offensive tackle would essentially be punting on a player who would contribute in 2026. But executive Eliot Wolf has said the entire draft is relatively weaker than years past, so maybe that's the right course of action.

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