New England Patriots
The weekend showed the depth at a few of the Patriots’ biggest positions of need.
The NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone. While the Patriots won’t have the luxury of holding a top-five pick again this offseason, the weekend showed that there’s some strong depth at their positions of need in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Wide receivers in the 2026 draft, in particular, had a good showing in Indianapolis. Several players at the position either had tested incredibly well in the athletic drills, or had some memorable moments during the on-field workouts.
There were also a few edge rushers that stood out over the weekend, to the point that they might be New England’s pick at No. 31 in April’s draft.
So, let’s take a look at 10 prospects who had a good showing in Indianapolis over the weekend who might be reasonable draft targets for the Patriots.
Romello Height, EDGE, Texas Tech
Unfortunately for the Patriots, a few of the edge rushers that had the best day at the combine were already projected to go early in the first round. But, there were a couple of projected Day 2 picks who had a good showing in Indianapolis.
Romello Height was one of them. The Texas Tech product was in the top 10 among edge rushers in the 40 (4.64), vertical (39 inches), and broad jump (10 feet, 5 inches), a strong result considering his size (6-foot-3, 239 pounds).
That testing helps back up Height’s productive 2025 season at Texas Tech. He was also sixth in the nation in total pressures with 56.
Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State and Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF
Dani Dennis-Sutton and Malachi Lawrence put themselves in pretty rare territory with their combine performances. They joined Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Montez Sweat, and Aidan Hutchinson as the only players in the last 10 years to log a relative athletic score of at least 9.89 after having a season in which they recorded a pressure rate of at least 17 percent.
Dennis-Sutton ran the fourth-quickest three-cone drill among all prospects, and his broad jump (10 feet, 11 inches) led all edge rushers. Lawrence was third among edge rushers in the 40 (4.52), second in the vertical jump (40 inches), and second in the broad jump (10 feet, 10 inches). Lawrence was measured at 6-4, while Dennis-Sutton checked in at a whopping 6-6. So yes, they both have the size to play the position.
In terms of production, Dennis-Sutton was a slightly more productive player in college than Lawrence, logging 17 sacks in the last two seasons to Lawrence’s 12. Just like Height, both players have been projected to be Day 2 picks.
Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
Oregon tight end and projected first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq dominated the combine to the point that he might have made it impossible for the Patriots to draft him. But, Eli Stowers had an impressive day and seems to be a potential reasonable target in the first two rounds.
Stowers broke the record in the broad jump for tight ends at the combine (11 feet, 3 inches). He also recorded a 45.5-inch vertical jump, the best for a tight end since 2003. He has good speed as well, running a 4.53 in the 40.
As for his college career, Stowers was pretty productive after making the change from quarterback to tight end. He had 111 receptions for 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons at Vanderbilt, winning the John Mackey Award for the nation’s best tight end this past season.
KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
KC Concepcion didn’t compete in the athletic testing at the combine on Saturday, but he showed why he might be a potential first-round pick when he did the gauntlet. The Texas A&M product seemed to take fewer than five steps off the line during the drill, showcasing his strong route-running ability.
That route-running ability helped Concepcion record 61 receptions for 919 yards and nine touchdowns this past season. But, he also had 456 punt return yards and two touchdowns on 25 returns, notching Concepcion the Hornung Award for the best all-purpose play in college football.
Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana
Entering the combine, Omar Cooper made an appearance in the first round in some mock drafts. He could’ve climbed into the first round with his showing on Saturday, though.
Cooper ran a 4.42 40, which wasn’t one of the fastest times at the position. However, it’s a good time for a receiver who is just over 6 feet tall.
That speed also helps legitimize Cooper’s production from this past season. He was Fernando Mendoza’s top target, recording 69 receptions for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns. One of those grabs was one of the top highlights in recent college football memory, toe-tapping in the back of the end zone to help Indiana beat Penn State.
Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma
Deion Burks is little, but fast — very fast.
The 5-10 Oklahoma product ran a 4.3 in the 40, which was the third-fastest time among wide receivers. That wasn’t the only area where Burks impressed. He also logged the best vertical jump (42.5 inches) and fifth-best broad jump (10 feet, 11 inches).
That kind of burst might make Burks an enticing gadget player in the NFL. Oklahoma’s inconsistent quarterback play over the last couple of years likely didn’t allow Burks to show his full potential, though. He had 57 receptions for 620 yards and four touchdowns last year, putting up lesser numbers compared to several other top wide receiver prospects.
Still, for a Patriots’ offense that could use some pop, Burks might be an interesting option for them on Day 2 of the draft.
Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati
Jeff Caldwell appears to have been tailor-made for the combine.
The Cincinnati product measured at 6-5. Yet, he ran a 4.31 40, which was the fourth-fastest time among wide receivers. To put that number in perspective, that was the fastest 40 time by any player at the combine who was measured at 6-1 or taller.
Just like Burks, Caldwell showed out in some of the other athletic testing drills. His 42-inch vertical was tied for the second-best at the position. His broad jump (11 feet, 2 inches) was second among wide receivers.
Entering the weekend, Caldwell seemed to be an afterthought among the wide receiver prospects, as you would’ve had to go through a seven-round projection in order to find his name in mock drafts. But, after a quiet year at Cincinnati (32 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns), Caldwell’s size and freak athleticism might be too much for teams to overlook.
Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
Chris Brazzell also checked in at 6-5 during his height measurement this weekend, and he nearly put up the same number as Caldwell in the 40-yard dash.
The Tennessee star ran an impressive 4.37 time in the 40. While it wasn’t as fast as Caldwell’s, Brazzell’s 40 time was faster than the likes of Jaylen Waddle and Ja’Marr Chase, despite being several inches taller than those two.
Brazzell didn’t participate in other athletic testing drills on Saturday, but it doesn’t seem like he needed to do much more to establish himself as a strong candidate to be picked in the first two rounds. He had 62 receptions for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns this past season. So, the production is certainly there for Brazzell, too.
Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
Similar to Kenyon Sadiq, Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling might have had such a strong performance at the combine that the Patriots might no longer be able to draft him. Multiple draft analysts now have Freeling as a top-15 prospect, so New England might have to make a major trade up to get him.
Max Iheanachor was among the offensive linemen that had a strong day that might still be in reach for the Patriots in Round 1. His 4.91 40 was tied for the second-best among offensive linemen at the combine. His 30.5-inch vertical jump and 9-foot, 7-inch broad jump might not look spectacular. However, the Relative Athletic Score considers those “elite” numbers considering Iheanachor’s size (6-5, 321 pounds).
Ahead of the combine, Iheanachor had been viewed as a potential first-round pick. Some mock drafts even had the Patriots selecting him at No. 31.
Iheanachor was exclusively a right ackle during his time at Arizona State, transferring there after beginning his college career at East Los Angeles College. He allowed just two sacks and 46 pressures in three years at Arizona State, per PFF, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors this past season.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
