Patriots add Day 3 special-teamers
- New England used Day 3 of the 2026 NFL draft on Wake Forest cornerback Karon Prunty, Texas A&M tackle Dametrious Crownover and TCU linebacker Namdi Obiazor. - Prunty went No. 171, Crownover No. 196 and Obiazor No. 212 as New England added length at corner, tackle depth and linebacker range. - The picks followed earlier tackle and edge investments, extending a trenches-and-depth draft plan. (espn.com)
The Patriots spent the middle of Day 3 adding three depth pieces: Wake Forest cornerback Karon Prunty, Texas A&M tackle Dametrious Crownover and TCU linebacker Namdi Obiazor. (patriots.com) Prunty came first at No. 171 in Round 5, giving New England a 6-foot-2, 192-pound corner with 55 college starts and 7 interceptions. (patriots.com 1) (patriots.com 2) Crownover followed at No. 196 in Round 6, and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden said the Patriots think the “massive” tackle can contribute on both sides. (patriots.com 1) (patriots.com 2) Obiazor arrived 16 picks later at No. 212, giving the roster a 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker who started three years at TCU after beginning his career at Akron. (patriots.com) (nefootballjournal.com) The sequence fit the rest of New England’s draft. The Patriots had already used earlier picks on tackle Caleb Lomu, edge rusher Gabe Jacas and tight end Eli Raridon before turning to secondary, line and linebacker depth on Saturday. (patriots.com) (espn.com) Cowden said tackle remains a “premium position” and that “you can never have enough depth” there, which helps explain why Crownover joined first-round tackle Lomu in the same class. (patriots.com) Prunty’s appeal is size and recovery speed. A New England Football Journal scouting report described him as a long-limbed boundary corner with track background and more than 40 career starts. (nefootballjournal.com) Obiazor’s appeal is range and versatility. The same outlet described him as a safety-turned-linebacker with sideline-to-sideline speed and a profile that can translate to coverage and sub-package work. (nefootballjournal.com) The Patriots finished the weekend with nine draft picks after entering with 11 and using Day 3 selections in trades earlier in the event. ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote that those moves reflected how New England viewed the draft as dropping off on Saturday. (patriots.com) (espn.com) That left the final rounds for players who can fill out the roster quickly. Prunty, Crownover and Obiazor were the Patriots’ answer on a Day 3 built around depth, developmental traits and competition at the back of the roster. (patriots.com)
