The Patriots’ roster makeover has already been aggressive enough to reshape the franchise, but CBS mock drafter Mike Renner sees New England using the 2027 NFL Draft to keep feeding Drake Maye more help on the outside.
Renner’s latest projection has the Patriots passing on edge rusher, even though that’s widely viewed as their biggest need, and instead taking Indiana wideout Charlie Becker with the 26th pick. Becker, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Nashville, was one of Fernando Mendoza’s favorite targets and put together a productive season with 34 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 20.0 yards per catch.
His best stretch came late. After failing to top two catches in any of his first five games, Becker closed the year with 118 yards against Penn State and 108 against Wisconsin.
He then delivered a career-high six catches for 126 yards in the Big Ten Championship. Across three playoff games, he added 8 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns as Indiana won the national title.
The fit, though, is where things get interesting. New England has already added A.J.
Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason, but the receiver room still looks like it could be in flux after 2026. Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and Pop Douglas are all on expiring contracts, which would leave Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III as the main receivers still under contract.
There are also developmental names in the building, with UDFAs Kyle Dixon and Cameron Dorner mentioned as possible depth pieces, though the expectation is that they won’t have much of a role in 2026.
Becker brings appeal, especially with 216 special teams snaps last season, but he may not be the cleanest match for what the Patriots already have. Indiana lined him up on the outside for 81.7% of his snaps, which would make him somewhat redundant with Brown, Doubs, and Williams all under contract in 2027.
That’s why a slot receiver could make more sense, and Renner floated Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Young as another possibility. Young went 32nd to the Rams in the mock and has a strong track record from his time at North Texas, where he caught 70 passes for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns before transferring to Stillwater with Drew Mestemaker. He played 91.7% of his snaps in the slot, which would give New England a different kind of weapon.
Whether it’s Becker, Young, or someone else entirely, the idea of the Patriots taking a receiver in 2027 fits the shape of their roster. Even with the edge-rusher need sitting at the top of the board, another pass catcher would still make plenty of sense.
In Other News...
Patriots Have A Forgotten Back Pushing For A Real Camp Role
The Patriots are heading into camp with the usual attention on Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, but the more interesting battle may come a layer deeper on the depth chart. Behind the top two backs, New England is sorting through a group that includes undrafted free agent Lan Larison, rookie Myles Montgomery and seventh-round pick Jam Miller as it looks for someone to claim a real role in the rotation.
Larison is the name worth watching because he brings a different kind of resume to the competition, one built on production as both a runner and receiver at UC Davis. He is also trying to re-establish himself after spending last season on injured reserve, which makes his camp push as much about getting back on the field as it is about winning over the coaches in a crowded room. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Could Make A Risky Bet On A Fallen First Rounder
Tyler Guytons path in Dallas has turned into one of the more uncertain storylines surrounding a former first-round pick, with injuries and uneven play clouding what once looked like a straightforward development track. For teams watching from afar, that kind of profile can turn into an opportunity, especially for a club like New England that is still sorting out its long-term answers at right tackle and could use another young lineman to develop.
The Patriots have been mentioned as a possible landing spot if the Cowboys decide Guyton is available, and the fit is easy enough to see on paper. He entered the league at right tackle, which gives New England a potential head start in evaluating whether he can grow into a role there, and the appeal is obvious for a team that may soon need to think beyond Morgan Moses. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Should Think Twice Before Chasing This Buzzed About Linebacker
The linebacker market always gets noisy when a recognizable name starts surfacing in trade talk, and Patrick Queen is the latest one to draw attention as the Patriots look ahead to 2026. He still has the kind of rsum that can tempt a team hunting for speed and range in the middle of its defense, but the numbers behind his recent play make the fit far less straightforward than the buzz suggests.
Queens value has been questioned because of what happened in coverage, where he gave up a 114 passer rating and four touchdowns while still piling up 129 tackles and six tackles for loss. Add in the fact that he is set to earn $13.3 million this fall, and New England would have to decide whether the name recognition and age are worth the risk of betting on a bounce-back under a new coaching staff. [Read more 🡒]