Two months after their Super Bowl LX run, the New England Patriots are stocked up with 11 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. While they have a clear need to add offensive playmakers, their continuous pursuit of Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown complicates the process with one week to go.
The Patriots could easily address their dire receiver needs in the first round, but that is not what ESPN NFL Draft analyst Ben Solak suggests. Instead, the writer wants to see New England pass on the position before addressing it on Day Two to “keep leverage” on Philadelphia and potentially lower the asking price for Brown.
“One of the draft’s big questions is if and how the Patriots address wide receiver at the end of Round 1,” Solak wrote. “They have a clear need besides Romeo Doubs and Kayshon Boutte, and a bona fide WR1 is the best fit next to those two well-rounded talents. Of course, A.J. Brown is definitely a WR1, and guys such as Denzel Boston (Washington) and KC Concepcion (Texas A&M) also might be. If I were Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel, I’d pass on wide receiver in Round 1 but still hit it on Day 2 to keep leverage on the Eagles, who could eventually lower their demands this summer.”
The Patriots begin with the No. 31 pick in the first round, then have picks Nos. 63 and 95 on Day Two. Their remaining eight selections come in the final four rounds of the draft.
Taking Solak’s advice is certainly a gamble, both that the Eagles do not send Brown to another team and that they would not want one of Philadelphia’s first three picks in return for the star wideout. However, some have suggested that Eliot Wolf is already waiting out Howie Roseman, with a deal potentially coming later in the summer.
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