Patriots coach Mike Vrabel fulfilled his pledge to be away from the team’s draft room on Saturday for what he said was to begin counseling after photos were published recently of him with longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort.
Vrabel said he took accountability for his actions that created distractions after those photos — and others of him and Russini — were made public. He did not address specifics while saying his actions fell short of his standards and that he needed to prioritize his family.
Vice president of football operations Eliot Wolf had the final say on the six picks New England made in Vrabel’s absence. Wolf said Vrabel had a short message to members of the front office before he left after Friday’s third round.
“Just words of encouragement,” Wolf said. “He knows our process. We talked about what kind of players we needed to add. We knew what kind of players that he liked. Obviously we drafted some of the guys he had an affinity for today.”
During the first two days of the draft, Vrabel was seen in videos released by the team congratulating picks in phone calls and celebrating with fellow team personnel.
Coming off a loss in the Super Bowl, the Patriots had two key goals when the draft began: beefing up the edges of the offensive line to protect quarterback Drake Maye and adding some athleticism on the outside defensively.
They took big swings in addressing both needs, selecting Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round and Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas in the second round.
In both cases, the Patriots traded up to ensure they got their targets. New England had the 31st pick in each of the first three rounds.
The Patriots moved up three spots and traded an extra pick to division rival Buffalo to grab Lomu. They traded up eight spots, sending fourth- and sixth-round picks to the Los Angeles Chargers to get Jacas.
They stood pat in the third round and took 6-foot-6, 245-pound tight end Eli Raridon of Notre Dame. Ultimately, the Patriots drafted nine players. Their selections on Saturday: Wake Forest cornerback Karon Prunty (fifth round), Texas A&M offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover (sixth), TCU linebacker Namdi Obiazor (sixth), Texas A&M quarterback Behren Morton (seventh), Alabama running back Jam Miller (seventh) and Boston College edge rusher Quintayvious Hutchins (seventh).
New England entered the draft with 11 picks and Wolf was prepared to shed a few in order to move up the board.
“With Caleb and with Gabe, we did not think that they were going to be there when we got them,” Wolf said.
High hopes for top three picks
On paper, the Patriots addressed their most pressing needs in the first three rounds.
New England sought depth at offensive tackle. Left tackle Will Campbell is coming off an up-and-down rookie season that included a knee injury, and right tackle Morgan Moses will be entering his 13th season at age 35.
The 6-foot-6, 313-pound Lomu didn’t give up a sack in 12 games last season and was named first-team All-Big 12.
The Patriots, who finished in the bottom third of the NFL with just 35 sacks, believe Jacas can help add to that total. He started as a freshman at Illinois and showed the multitude of ways he could get to the ball, logging 27 sacks and forcing seven fumbles in his four-year career.
Raridon fits the mold of the type of tight end that has had success in New England, averaging 15.1 yards per catch last season. But there are concerns about his health after he tore a ligament in his right knee in back-to-back years to begin his college career.
Bucking recent trends
Jacas became the first defensive player drafted in New England’s first four picks since 2023, when it took cornerback Christian Gonzalez in the first round.
In 2025, the Patriots used their first four picks on offensive players. A year earlier, their first five picks played offense.
Secondary support
New England extended its streak to nine straight drafts of picking at least one defensive back when it selected Wake Forest cornerback Karon Prunty in the fifth round,
The Patriots are set at their starting cornerback spots with Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III. Gonzalez won’t become a free agent until 2028. Davis signed a three-year deal in 2025, but the team can opt out before next season.
Prunty showed versatility in college, posting 40 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception last season.
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