The 2026 NFL Draft will begin in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, and the Patriots currently have the 31st pick in the first round.
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It’s still unclear which position the Patriots will target with that pick, but Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald mocked Clemson pass rusher TJ Parker at No. 31.
“The rush on offensive linemen (and wide receiver, for that matter), plus the whole AJ Brown thing, makes me think the Patriots are looking to add the tough, hard-working Parker to their defense,” Tice wrote. “Parker might not be the high-end pass rusher the Patriots really want to add, but he would help them have a group of strong, powerful defenders who can stifle running attacks and pressure quarterbacks.
“Maybe it’s too much ‘hat on hat,’ but there really is something between Parker and the other group of muscular Patriots defensive linemen that I like the more I think about it.”
Parker played three seasons at Clemson, recording 41.5 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks in 39 games. Last season, however, Parker’s performance dipped as he recorded just five sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in 12 games, following a solid 2024 season in which he recorded 11 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.
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