In the first seven-round mock draft of 2026, the New England Patriots bolster a position that faces a great deal of uncertainty heading into next season.

Kubiak is considered a strong head-coaching candidate after leading the Seahawks to a third-place finish in points scored in 2025. He's also served as an offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints before joining the Seahawks in 2025.

With the New England Patriots now slated to pick at the bottom of the first round of next year's draft, they may try to add more protection for their young quarterback.

Which playoff team could scoop up Alabama QB Ty Simpson? How might Dallas fill the void left by Micah Parsons? Bucky Brooks presents his first mock draft of 2026. Check out the full first-round projection,

In our latest mock draft, The Athletic senior writer Nick Baumgardner and college football writer Scott Dochterman go two rounds deep with picks (odd-numbered selections made by Scott, even-numbered by Nick, except for a flip for the Broncos and Patriots’ selections). Where are the best fits in this draft class?

A defensive tackle, Johnson was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft, but was cut during training camp that summer. His draft peers in New England included Drew Bledsoe (No. 1 overall), Chris Slade (second round) and Troy Brown (eighth round).

One analyst, however, has already made up their mind on not only who will win Super Bowl LX, but also some of the biggest factors coming out of the game. CBS Sports’ Zacahary Pereles not only says the Seahawks will defeat the Patriots for their second Super Bowl title in franchise history,