On Saturday, the New England Patriots added six players to their roster during the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft. After shuffling around the draft board and securing trades with both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Minnesota Vikings, the Patriots made one fifth-round selection, two in the sixth and three in the seventh.
The day three class was highlighted by Wake Forest cornerback Karon Prunty, as the lone fifth-round pick, and TCU linebacker Namdi Obiazor in the sixth round. Both rookies could
become immediate rotational contributors at their respective positions.
New England also added Texas A&M offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover in the sixth before selecting Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton, Alabama running back Jam Miller and Boston College outside linebacker Quintayvious Hutchins in the seventh round.
“These third days [are] invaluable to roster building as I see it,” Patriots vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden said after the draft. “It’s all about trying to find competition at the back end of the roster. You can never have enough depth … So, our goal now is to start really building depth with young players who can come in, and this coaching staff can really mold [them] into the type of players that we want.”
These five numbers offer insight into the Patriots’ decision to draft all six additions:
24: years old
Four of the six draftees, Prunty, Crownover, Obiazor and Morton, from day three are 24 years old. New England brass seemingly valued acquiring experience during the latter half of the draft, searching for players who can quickly contribute at positions that lack necessary depth.
In 2025, Charles Woods, whom the Patriots acquired after roster cutdowns, was the team’s primary rotational piece for a majority of the season after Alex Austin had an underwhelming start to the year. Prunty, appearing in 46 games across five collegiate seasons, could immediately fill that top rotational spot on the outside.
It’s the same case for Obiazor and the linebacker corps. Outside of starters Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss, New England’s next option is veteran K.J. Britt, whose defensive snap count significantly declined last season compared to 2024. The TCU product offers six seasons of collegiate experience and has the potential to perform as the main bench option at weakside linebacker.
2: departing offensive tackles
Crownover, alongside first-round pick Caleb Lomu, is the second offensive tackle the Patriots took in the draft. This decision comes after both of New England’s primary backups in 2025, Vederian Lowe and Thayer Munford Jr., were not re-signed this offseason. Lowe reached a multi-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers and Munford remains a free agent.
“[Offensive tackle] is a premium position in our league,” Cowden said. “The pool of players that can play the position is really small, and you can never have enough depth there … when we see talent at the tackle position, I think we’re always going to look to have that … if there’s one room that I’ll take as crowded, I’ll take that room.”
The franchise’s current offensive tackle room consists primarily of starters Will Campbell and Morgan Moses, as well as Lomu, Crownover, veteran James Hudson and 2025 draft selection Marcus Bryant.
23: defensive turnovers
The Patriots ranked No. 21 in the NFL last season in defensive turnovers with a combined 20 interceptions and forced fumbles. All three defensive players New England acquired on day three have created 23 turnovers altogether in college.
Prunty and Namdi combined for 17 interceptions and four forced fumbles, with each punching the ball loose on two occasions. Additionally, Hutchins, who largely operates on the edge, also recorded two interceptions for the Eagles. Adding these rookies could give the Patriots’ offense more scoring opportunities.
363: punt return yards allowed
New England gave up 363 total punt return yards during the 2025 season, which was the fifth-most in the NFL. The franchise struggled in kick coverage, and that may be part of the reason it selected three players with extensive special teams experience on day three.
Prunty said after he was drafted that he played on special teams in college as a gunner and a jammer on punt returns, garnering experience in kick coverage and attacking the returner. Hutchins and Obiazor are two other projected core special teamers for the Patriots; the TCU linebacker participated on both the kick and punt returns units, and the Boston College product logged over 400 snaps of special teams experience.
30: visit with New England
As part of a group with the Patriots’ day two picks, Gabe Jacas and Eli Raridon, Prunty and Morton had 30 visits with the organization. These pre-draft meetings warrant attention because they are opportunities for teams to understand a prospect’s background and how they process the sport. Four of the nine draftees New England secured this past weekend attended 30 visits. Some prospects win teams over in the process.
“[Prunty] did a great job with our coaching staff,” Cowden said. “He really represented himself in a professional manner, and we’re excited to bring his skill set at the perimeter corner.”
