• Second round (No. 38)
• Third round (No. 69)
• Third round (No. 77 — from Atlanta)
Saturday
• Fourth round (No. 106)
• Fifth round (No. 144)
• Fifth round (No. 177 — from Dallas)
• Seventh round (No. 220)
• Seventh round (No. 238)
There are a few intriguing Day 2 possibilities for the Patriots to consider.
Jayden Higgins: The 6-foot-4-inch, 214-pound Higgins is coming off two impressive years at Iowa State in which he caught 140 passes for 2,166 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s coming off a great workout at the combine. Big body-pass catcher who could theoretically grow into the role of an X receiver.
Jaylin Noel: The other half of Iowa State’s impressive receiving combo, Noel is a 5-foot-10-inch, 194-pounder who has great speed and yards-after-catch ability. In four years, he had 245 receptions (including 80 last year) for 2,855 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Luther Burden III: Burden does’t have the same size as Higgins (6-feet, 206 pounds) but the Missouri product the same sort of elite speed and athleticism as Higgins. He had 192 catches, 2,263 yards, and 21 touchdowns in three seasons.
Tre Harris: Harris checks in at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, and is distinguished by his hands (he’s impressed on contested catches) and quickness (which has translated to better than average yards after the catch). In two seasons at Ole Miss, he caught 114 passes for 2,015 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Jack Bech: A 6-foot-1, 214-pounder out of TCU, Bech landed on the radar of most NFL fans when he was named the 2025 Senior Bowl MVP. After spending two seasons at LSU, he transferred to TCU and finished his career with a flourish, catching 62 passes for 1,034 yards and adding nine touchdowns. Not an overwhelming presence, but he rarely makes a mistake and is difficult to bring down.
While New England theoretically addressed one of its biggest needs with the pickup of Will Campbell at left tackle, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Patriots double or even triple dip along the offensive line the rest of the way. Here are a few names worth looking out for on Friday and Saturday.
OT Aireontae Ersery: The Minnesota product, who started 38 games at left tackle for the Gophers, is a 6-foot-6-inch, 331-pounder who was the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year.
OT Ozzy Trapilo: This Norwell native was an All-ACC first-teamer in 2024, making all 12 regular-season starts at right tackle. The son of former All-American and NFL lineman Steve Trapilo, Ozzy was a three-year starter, seeing action at both tackle spots. At the combine in February, the 6-8, 316-pound Trapilo was cagey about whether he had met with the Patriots. But for a New England team looking to build depth at offensive tackle, Trapilo could be a valuable Day 2 or Day 3 addition.
OT Charles Grant: Another left tackle, this 6-foot-5-inch, 311-pounder started 41 games at the position at William & Mary. He was a second-team AP All-American in 2023.
RG Tate Ratledge: This Georgia product, who is distinguished by having one of the best mullets in all of college football, was a steady presence up front for the Bulldogs the last couple of seasons. He started 37 games and is coming off an impressive series of workouts at the combine.
OL Jonah Savaiinaea: The guy did just about everything at Arizona, lining up at both tackle spots as well as right guard. A 6-foot-4-inch, 324-pounder, he’s the sort of guy who might not be an every-game starter but can be a valuable piece of the puzzle because of his versatility. A team captain last year, he was honorable mention All-Pac 12 for three consecutive seasons.
Tight end: The position isn’t necessarily an overwhelming area of need for New England, but this is a draft that is relatively deep at the position. For a team with a pair of dependable tight ends — both Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper are 30-plus — it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Patriots use a Day 2 or 3 pick on someone like Harold Fannin Jr. out of Bowling Green (an FBS-leading 117 catches last year), LSU’s Mason Taylor (the son of former Miami pass rusher Jason Taylor; he was the first 100-reception, 1,000-yard tight end in LSU history), or Miami’s Elijah Arroyo (16.9 yards per catch in 2024).
Christopher Price can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @cpriceglobe.
