Patriots roll the dice and gamble on a total outlier at a position of need in a new 2026 NFL mock draft
The Patriots take a big risk in a new mock draft, but if it pays off, it would fix the team’s biggest weakness.
The New England Patriots know what it takes to compete for Super Bowls. They showed that they can even do it without the likes of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in just Mike Vrabel’s first year as the team’s head coach.
They weren’t able to finish the job in the Super Bowl, but winning the AFC Championship is still quite the accomplishment for Vrabel in year one. Now their goal for the offseason must be to make the moves necessary to build on last year’s success and not let it become just a flash-in-the-pan season. The 2026 NFL Draft will give the team plenty of opportunities to add talent and take that next step.
A new mock draft from A to Z Sports has the Patriots taking a risk by betting on a size outlier on the defensive line to pan out.
Patriots land Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell in a new 2026 NFL mock draft
“After making the Super Bowl, the Patriots need to work on getting more pressure generated from the edge rusher position. Howell might have shorter arms than is ideal, but he can bend the arc and maximize edge pressure with Milton Williams and Christian Barmore on the interior.” – Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Minnesota
The Patriots selected Texas A&M pass rusher Cashius Howell in a new mock draft. Howell began his college career at Bowling Green for his first three seasons, where he recorded 11.5 sacks, including a MAC best 9.5 in 2023, before transferring to Texas A&M. He’s spent his last two years with the Aggies and recorded 15.5 sacks and is coming off the best year of his career with 11.5 sacks earning his his first ever All-American along with being named the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year.
The Patriots’ pass rush was one of the team’s weakest spots. In the regular season, New England only recorded 35 sacks, which was the fifth fewest in the NFL in 2025. Howell’s production last year would likely excite fans if the Patriots landed him, but there is a clear reason why he could be on the board at pick 31.
All the talk was about how small Miami Hurricane pass rusher Rueben Bain‘s arms would be, but Howell’s came in even smaller, measuring 30 1/4” arms at the combine.
If he ends up being selected in the first round, he would have the smallest arms of any defensive lineman ever taken in the first round. In fact, he would have the smallest arms of any defensive lineman taken in the top two rounds. So would the Patriots really take the risk of betting on such an insane outlier with their first-round pick? I guess we will have to wait and see.
Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell’s college stats
- Bowling Green 2021: 4 games, 6 total tackles
- Bowling Green 2022: 13 games, 2 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, 22 total tackles
- Bowling Green 2023: 13 games, 9.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, 28 total tackles
- Texas A&M 2024: 13 games, 4 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, 40 total tackles
- Texas A&M 2025: 13 games, 11.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 31 total tackles
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