The NFL announced 319 players invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. One of the most important aspects of the draft process, the combine is vital to NFL organizations for gathering medical reports, meeting with prospects, verifying measurements and gauging their athleticism. The most appreciated aspect of the testing results is that it provides an apples-to-apples comparison, in terms of players competing on the same surface, drills are conducted by the same coaches, and players are all on the same schedule, it is the ultimate litmus test. For players not invited to the combine, they will have to wait until their official school pro day workout for an opportunity to perform in front of NFL scouts.
A breakdown of this year’s invites reveals that the SEC is still the top conference for churning out NFL talent, with 114 players invited to Indy (36% of all combine invites). Next is the Big Ten with 84 invites (26%), followed by the ACC with 50 invites (15%) and the Big 12 with 45 invites (14%). Including Notre Dame (six invites), the ‘Power Four’ accounted for 94% of all combine invites in 2026. For those curious, a total of just six FCS players received an invite, while the HBCU was shut out entirely. The schools with the most combine invites are as follows: Texas A&M (12), Alabama (11), LSU and Ohio State (11), Georgia, Miami and Oklahoma (10).
Below, we examine the offensive players invited to the NFL combine and how the Patriots could view potential prospects headed into the event. The biggest area of strength on offense in this year’s draft would be the wide receiver class, which is loaded with immediate impact players and quality depth that should last into the middle rounds–one area of need for the Patriots. Other positions that New England could seek to address via the draft include the offensive line, where there are questions entering the offseason surrounding both the interior and exterior spots.
QUARTERBACKS
Entering Indianapolis, beyond Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, who is a near-lock to be the number one overall selection, the quarterback pecking order beyond that remains unsettled. Alabama signal-caller Ty Simpson, LSU gunslinger Garrett Nussmeier, and North Dakota State dual-threat Cole Payton figure to be jockeying for position as the number two quarterback in the draft. Since Simpson and Payton are both one-year starters, Indianapolis carries a little more weight for their two draft outlooks, while Nussmeier is a seasoned vet and son of a coach (New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier). The combine is a stage where Vanderbilt enigma Diego Pavia should thrive in, as he can really drive the ball and should generate positive results in terms of ball velocity and RPM. However, major concerns about his size are sure to be a talking point in Indy. While New England doesn’t neccesarily need a quarterback, de facto GM Eliot Wolf could look for a developmental prospect late in the draft such as Joe Fagnano of UConn. The Huskies dart-thrower possesses pin-point accuracy and enjoyed a career year with an impressive 28:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2025.
- Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
- Drew Allar, Penn State
- Luke Altmyer, Illinois
- Carson Beck, Miami
- Jalon Daniels, Kansas
- Joe Fagnano, UConn
- Taylen Green, Arkansas
- Haynes King, Georgia Tech
- Cade Klubnik, Clemson
- Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
- Behren Morton, Texas Tech
- Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
- Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
- Cole Payton, North Dakota State
- Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
- Ty Simpson, Alabama
RUNNING BACK
One of the top-rated offensive prospects is Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, whose size, vision, burst and production projects to what could be a franchise player. There is a significant drop-off to the second-tier of runners in this year’s class. Ironically enough, his backfield mate Jadarian Price is in contention to be the second runner off the board come April. Other backs who would appear to be top 100 candidates include Mike Washington of Aransas, Jonah Coleman of Washington and Emmett Johnson of Nebraska. While the Patriots' backfield was strong enough to carry them to the Super Bowl, rookie TreVeyon Henderson struggled with his vision, often choosing poor rush lanes, and it resulted in the team having to lean more on Rhamondre Stevenson when it mattered most. With New England investing a second-round pick on Henderson a year ago, it’s unlikely they will select a runner early. However, Navy weapon Eli Heidenrich is an intriguing late-round option who played running back and wideout for the Midshipmen and gives off Danny Woodhead vibes.
- Kaytron Allen, Penn State
- Max Bredeson, Michigan
- Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
- Jonah Coleman, Washington
- CJ Donaldson, Ohio State
- Rahsul Faison, South Carolina
- Eli Heidenreich, Navy
- Roman Hemby, Indiana
- Robert Henry Jr., UTSA
- Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
- Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
- Seth McGowan, Kentucky
- Jam Miller, Alabama
- Le'Veon Moss, Texas A&M
- Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
- Adam Randall, Clemson
- Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh
- Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
- J'Mari Taylor, Virginia
- Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
- Noah Whittington, Oregon
WIDE RECEIVER
The wide receiver class features some electric talents up top with the likes of Carnell Tate of Ohio State, Makai Lemon of USC and Jordyn Tyson of Arizona, all of whom are widely expected to be off the board by time the Patriots pick at No.32. One player to keep an eye on is Georgia speed-burner Zachariah Branch, who could look to challenge the fastest all-time combine forty-mark, set by John Ross (4.22) in 2017. Other track-meet challengers include Brenen Thompson of Mississippi State and Barion Brown of LSU. With a pair of veteran wideouts such as Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in tow, this is not a position of urgency for New England. However, when it came to their Super Bowl matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, the Patriots came up short on big plays, and adding another weapon for quarterback Drake Maye would help elevate the offense. New England has found late-round success identifying fits under Wolf, including Kayshon Boute and DeMario Douglas, both of whom were sixth-round selections. An intriguing Day 3 option is right in their own backyard, as UConn playmaker Skyler Bell is a route-running technician with wheels and knows how to separate. It should also be noted that Kaden Wetjen, out of Iowa, is one of the most dangerous return specialists in quite some time.
- Aaron Anderson, LSU
- Vinny Anthony II, Wisconsin
- Chris Bell, Louisville
- Dillon Bell, Georgia
- Skyler Bell, UConn
- Malik Benson, Oregon
- Germie Bernard, Alabama
- Denzel Boston, Washington
- Zachariah Branch, Georgia
- Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
- Barion Brown, LSU
- Deion Burks, Oklahoma
- Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
- Josh Cameron, Baylor
- Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
- KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
- Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
- CJ Daniels, Miami
- Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech
- Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
- Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas
- Chris Hilton Jr., LSU
- Jordan Hudson, SMU
- Ted Hurst, Georgia State
- Caullin Lacy, Louisville
- Bryce Lance, North Dakota State
- Ja'Kobi Lane, USC
- Kendrick Law, Kentucky
- Makai Lemon, USC
- Eric McAlister, TCU
- Donaven McCulley, Michigan
- Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech
- Chase Roberts, BYU
- Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
- De'Zhaun Stribling, Mississippi
- J. Michael Sturdivant, Florida
- Carnell Tate, Ohio State
- Zavion Thomas, LSU
- Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
- Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
- Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech
- Harrison Wallace III, Mississippi
- Jalen Walthall, Incarnate Word
- Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
- Antonio Williams, Clemson
- Colbie Young, Georgia
TIGHT ENDS
While the tight end class lacks mass appeal, there is adequate depth, full of prospects capable of contributing at the next level. Key Patriots backup Austin Hooper, who will be 32 years old next season, is set to hit free agency, so this could become a position of need come April. Oregon speedster Kenyon Sadiq is expected to be the first tight end off the board, and while he lacks prototype size, he demonstrates rare explosiveness, which was evident at the Senior Bowl. Other offensive prowess tight ends include former quarterback Eli Stowers of Vanderbilt, who is one of the cleanest prospects in this year’s class, along with Max Klare of Ohio State, Michael Trigg of Baylor and Dallas Bentley of Utah. When it comes to possibly looking to replace Hooper, a player such as Eli Raridon of Notre Dame would seem to fit the mold. A big-body tight end with excellent blocking skills, Raridon proved he can also contribute in the passing attack this past season for the Fighting Irish. Another option would be Nate Boerkircher of Texas A&M, who is viewed more as an inline blocker but demonstrated some impressive receiving skills down in Mobile.
- Dallen Bentley, Utah
- Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M
- Josh Cuevas, Alabama
- Oscar Delp, Georgia
- Khalil Dinkins, Penn State
- Jack Endries, Texas
- John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
- Matthew Hibner, SMU
- Justin Joly, N.C. State
- Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
- Jaren Kanak, Oklahoma
- Miles Kitselman, Tennessee
- Max Klare, Ohio State
- Marlin Klein, Michigan
- Tanner Koziol, Houston
- RJ Maryland, SMU
- Lake McRee, USC
- Riley Nowakowski, Indiana
- Eli Raridon, Notre Dame
- DJ Rogers, TCU
- Sam Roush, Stanford
- Joe Royer, Cincinnati
- Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
- Bauer Sharp, LSU
- Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
- Michael Trigg, Baylor
- Dae'Quan Wright, Mississippi
OFFENSIVE LINE
The trenches figure to be a key area of interest for New England entering this offseason. Despite a dismal postseason performance, head coach Mike Vrabel has remained adamant that Will Campbell will remain at left tackle. However, veteran Morgan Moses also struggled and could become a cap casualty, as his performance wasn’t enough to justify the three-year, $24M ($11M guaranteed) contract that he signed last offseason. Should the Patriots be able to find a suitor for Moses, a post-June 1st trade would clear $7.6M in cap space, a move they should certainly look to explore. Meanwhile, valuable swingman Vederian Lowe enters free agency at the ripe age of 26 years old and is sure to gauge plenty of interest.
In terms of tackles, the premier prospects in this year’s class include Francis Mauigoa of Miami, Kadyn Proctor of Alabama, along with Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu of Utah. All of these players are expected to be long gone by the time New England steps up to the podium. One prospect knocking on the first round door includes Max Iheanachor from Arizona State and could be a New England target. A true right tackle who turned in a stellar performance at the Senior Bowl, Iheanachor is a plug-and-play starter who would be an immediate upgrade over Moses. A projected mid-round pick, local product Jude Bowry is one of three Boston College players invited to Indy. However, there are some concerns surrounding his lateral movement, which has some NFL scouts leaning towards kicking him inside at the next level, despite starting the past two seasons at left tackle for the Eagles.
On the interior, it’s a strong class at both guard and center, with the sweet spot figuring to come on Day 2. With Jared Wilson coming off an inconsistent rookie campaign and being better-suited to play center, New England could look to upgrade the guard spot via the draft. The cream of the crop at guard is Penn State mauler Olaivavega Ioane of Penn State, who could possibly make his way to the No. 31 selection. On Day 2, expect to see the likes of Emmanuel Pregnon of Oregon and Chase Bisontis of Texas A&M to draw major interest, while Iowa road-grader Beau Stephens of Iowa looked extremely sharp during Senior Bowl week and could be a mid-round option. Fellow Boston College lineman Logan Taylor brings inside/outside versatility but is best-suited at guard in the pros. The center position is not one that is usually drafted in large numbers on an annual basis. Yet, this year’s class is as loaded as ever! It features prospects such as Brian Parker of Duke (who made the switch from tackle-to-center in Mobile), Parker Brailsford of Alabama and Jake Slaughter of Florida, all of whom figure to factor into the top 100 overall selections, while Connor Lew of Auburn should also figure into the equation.
- Chris Adams, Memphis
- Austin Barber, Florida
- Evan Beerntsen, Northwestern
- Markel Bell, Miami
- Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
- Jude Bowry, Boston College
- Parker Brailsford, Alabama
- Joshua Braun, Kentucky
- Travis Burke, Memphis
- Jager Burton, Kentucky
- DJ Campbell, Texas
- Fernando Carmona, Arkansas
- Kage Casey, Boise State
- Pat Coogan, Indiana
- Anez Cooper, Miami
- Dametrious Crownover, Texas A&M
- Enrique Cruz Jr., Kansas
- J.C. Davis, Illinois
- Garrett DiGiorgio, UCLA
- Gennings Dunker, Iowa
- Fa'alili Fa'amoe, Wake Forest
- Spencer Fano, Utah
- Jalen Farmer, Kentucky
- Monroe Freeling, Georgia
- Matt Gulbin, Michigan State
- Alex Harkey, Oregon
- Sam Hecht, Kansas State
- Alan Herron, Maryland
- Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
- Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
- Logan Jones, Iowa
- Connor Lew, Auburn
- Caleb Lomu, Utah
- Francis Mauigoa, Miami
- Blake Miller, Clemson
- Micah Morris, Georgia
- Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma
- Brian Parker II, Duke
- Diego Pounds, Mississippi
- Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
- Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
- Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
- Jaeden Roberts, Alabama
- Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
- Billy Schrauth, Notre Dame
- Drew Shelton, Penn State
- Jake Slaughter, Florida
- Beau Stephens, Iowa
- Logan Taylor, Boston College
- Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern
- Keagen Trost, Missouri
- Dillon Wade, Auburn
- Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame
- Carver Willis, Washington
- Jeremiah Wright, Auburn
- Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M
Be sure to check back at Boston Sports Journal for our 'NFL Scouting Combine Defensive Preview' and stay tuned for our on-location coverage from Indianapolis all next week! Ric Serritella has been covering the NFL Draft for the past 24 seasons, follow him on @NFLDraftBible.
