It’s been almost two months since the New England Patriots finalized their 2026 NFL Draft class. Now, with the commencement of mandatory minicamp last week, those rookies have progressed through the entirety of New England’s spring workout program before returning to Foxboro on July 18 for training camp.
Some of the fresh faces have shown signs of progress, while others are still climbing the depths of the roster or have yet to start. Here’s the current status of each of the Patriots’ draft selections.
OT Caleb Lomu
New England has been prepping their first-round draft pick as an all-around backup along the offensive line, with Lomu repping at both tackle and guard spots throughout the OTA sessions. The 21-year-old also slotted in as the starting right tackle during the first two minicamp practices while veteran Morgan Moses received rest.
Head coach Mike Vrabel has pointed out Lomu’s flexibility and versatility as traits that have stood out, and the rookie said after Wednesday’s workout the move to the right side feels more natural.
Lomu has been an amenable participant and looks like he could be more than a traditional swing tackle next season.
ED Gabe Jacas
The same, however, can’t be said of Jacas, who has yet to practice with the team. Jacas appeared and stood on the sidelines at rookie minicamp on May 7 and 9, but has not attended a practice since. He’s the only second-round pick not signed to a rookie deal as of now.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote on Sunday that in addition to Jacas’ pre-draft hamstring injury, the rookie also underwent a “clean-up” knee procedure. It’s currently unknown whether or not the surgery was disclosed to the team. Reiss noted that Jacas not being given a “participation agreement,” which protects the player financially if they were to get hurt before signing the contract, is related to his absence.
Jacas is currently missing valuable time during a critical stage in his rookie development.
TE Eli Raridon
As more of a project player at tight end, Raridon can find a contributing role in 2026 as a receiving option for quarterback Drake Maye, who can also threaten defenses vertically. Training camp is still over one month away, and with free agency signing Julian Hill’s unfortunate season-ending injury, the rookie will see increased opportunities as the offseason progresses.
During minicamp, Raridon saw competing action as a primary sub in Maye’s offense, rotating with Jack Westover. The Notre Dame product showcased resilience during Thursday’s practice, receiving an open red-zone touchdown from Maye after a drop over the middle several plays prior. His development as a blocker will be a litmus test for the involvement he could see in year one.
CB Karon Prunty
The Patriots went into the offseason needing more depth at cornerback, so they drafted Karon Prunty in the fifth round to add to it. With New England’s top three corners absent at OTAs (Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones), the rookie repped with the first-team defense but has reverted to the second team since.
Prunty’s made positive strides in the spring, which he can build on in training camp as he competes for a rotational spot on the final roster with previously established multi-year players.
OT Dametrious Crownover
This spring, Dametrious Crownover has exclusively repped at right tackle, working as a backup option as of now. The rookie brings intriguing physical traits to the trenches, standing at 6-foot-7 and 319 pounds.
Crownover and second-year tackle Marcus Bryant look to be the top options at the position behind Lomu, a role Crownover can establish next season and expand upon to become the primary backup on the right side in 2027.
LB Namdi Obiazor
Obiazor is a high-motor sideline-to-sideline linebacker (4.53-second 40-yard dash) and a physical tackler with special teams experience in college. At this point, he’s primarily worked on the third unit and the third-team defense.
The sixth-round selection has a chance to crack the final roster, but veterans like Chad Muma and K.J. Britt, along with Otise Reese and Amari Gainer, currently stand ahead of Obiazor. If an injury were to occur to either of the starters, Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss, somebody in the linebacker room would need to handle an expanded role.
QB Behren Morton
After seeing zero pass attempts during the 11-on-11 period on June 9, third-team offense signal-caller Behren Morton logged nine dropbacks on Thursday. He has started receiving more work and making positive plays. Still, Morton’s standing on the final roster may come down to a decision at another position to retain another player.
RB Jam Miller
Continuing into the list of seventh-round picks, Miller and undrafted rookie free agent Myles Montgomery ended the spring sessions on Morton’s offense. Both rookies could be working for a place on the practice squad, as second-year running back Lan Larison and third-year man Terrell Jennings seem to be in a two-person race for the third spot on the depth chart at this time.
ED Quintayvious Hutchins
Rounding out the class as the Patriots’ final draft selection, Hutchins had a rough start to his rookie campaign after being arrested in May and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery on a family or household member. The 23-year-old then pleaded not guilty and has a pretrial hearing session scheduled for June 29.
On the field, the local Boston College product primarily participated with the third-team defense and will have to pass at least two other edge rushers to crack the final roster. Veteran Jesse Luketa, undrafted rookie Xavier Holmes and second-year pass rusher Bradyn Swinson are who Hutchins is mainly competing with.
