This is where contenders live.
Picks 29 through 32 belong to the final four teams on the board — organizations that didn’t just compete, but controlled the season. The Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Seattle Seahawks all won at least 12 games and enter 2026 with expectations of doing it again.
The mindset here is different.
There are no panic moves. No desperate reaches. No foundational rebuilds.
This is about sustainability.
Championship windows close faster than teams expect. Veterans age. Coordinators get poached. Depth gets tested. Contracts escalate. And the teams drafting at the end of Round 1 must balance two timelines:
Win now — and win later.
Do you reinforce a strength that carried you to 14 wins?
Do you patch the one weakness exposed in January?
Do you draft a successor before the roster demands it?
These are luxury picks — but they’re also strategic ones.
Late-first selections are often about long-term cap health, premium position succession plans, and maintaining a competitive edge in a conference that’s always hunting the top seed.
In this batch, we break down:
- The biggest roster holes for each franchise
- Contract situations and future cap implications
- Which positions should be prioritized for veterans and rookies
- Potential fantasy football implications
These teams aren’t chasing relevance.
They’re protecting it.
Wrapping up the team needs series with: the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Seattle Seahawks.
Salary cap contract information provided by Spotrac.
- Fantasy Football Research & Advice
- Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- 2026 NFL Mock Drafts
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
- NFL Team Needs: Raiders, Jets, Cardinals, Titans (2026)
- NFL Team Needs: Giants, Browns, Commanders, Saints (2026)
- NFL Team Needs: Chiefs, Bengals, Dolphins, Cowboys (2026)
- NFL Team Needs: Falcons, Ravens, Buccaneers, Colts (2026)
- NFL Team Needs: Lions, Vikings, Panthers, Packers (2026)
- NFL Team Needs: Steelers, Chargers, Eagles, Jaguars (2026)
- NFL Team Needs: Bears, Bills, 49ers, Texans (2026)
- NFL Team Needs: Rams, Broncos, Patriots, Seahawks (2026)
Pick 31: New England Patriots
2026 Free Agents
- QB: Tommy DeVito (RFA)
- RB: Antonio Gibson, Deneric Prince (ERFA)
- TE: Austin Hooper, Jack Westover (ERFA)
- OL: RT Thayer Munford Jr., OT Yasir Durant (RFA), LT Vederian Lowe
- EDGE: K’Lavon Chaisson
- DL: Khyiris Tonga, Jaquelin Roy (RFA), Isaiah Iton (ERFA)
- LB: Jack Gibbens (RFA)
- CB: Alex Austin (RFA)
- S: Jaylinn Hawkins
2027 Free Agents
- QB: Joshua Dobbs
- RB: Elijah Mitchell, Terrell Jennings (RFA)
- WR: Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Jeremiah Webb (ERFA), John Jiles (ERFA)
- TE: Hunter Henry, C.J. Dippe (ERFA), Marshall Lang (ERFA)
- OL: G Mike Onwenu, C Garrett Bradbury, G Andrew Rupcich (RFA), OT Sebastian Gutierrez (RFA), G Mehki Butler (ERFA), OT Lorenz Metz (ERFA)
- EDGE: Anfernee Jennings, Amari Gainer (ERFA)
- DL: Jeremiah Pharms, Cory Durden, Leonard Taylor (RFA)
- LB: Christian Elliss, Marte Mapu, Chad Muma, Otis Reese (RFA)
- CB: Christian Gonzalez (CLUB), Charles Woods (RFA), Brandon Crossley (ERFA)
- S: John Saunders Jr.(ERFA), Dell Pettus (RFA), Kobee Minor (ERFA)
- ST: Bryce Baringer
Team Needs: OT, OG, EDGE, WR, TE, S, LB
Austin Hooper is a free agent in 2026. Hunter Henry will be a free agent at the end of the season at age 32. Wide receivers Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, and DeMario Douglas will also need new contracts.
There’s a need for a WR/TE upgrade in New England, so I expect the Pats to make a move for a potential true alpha pass-catcher. A.J. Brown is the top guy that comes to mind through trade at the WR position. DJ Moore also might be a decent fit, given that he played with the former Bears OC, Thomas Brown (Pats passing game coordinator).
Because there’s no guarantee that Stefon Diggs is a lock for the 2026 roster (no more guaranteed money, ongoing off-field issues, bloated contract).
But don’t overlook tight end as a sneaky area of need for NE’s offense. I’d be surprised if they didn’t draft one in a deep TE class.
OL Will Campbell isn’t expected to kick inside to guard, so the Patriots won’t be adding another left tackle this offseason (at least not with high-end capital).
However, they still need a long-term solution at RT, given Morgan Moses‘s age (35).
Two of their backup tackles are also free agents: Vederian Lowe and Thayer Munford Jr.
De facto GM Eliot Wolf stated at the NFL Combine that tackle is a need. Also mentioned off-ball linebacker as a draft target and improving overall WR depth (more playmakers).
Some additional interior depth across the offensive line also makes sense. G Mike Onwenu is in the last year of his deal. Last year’s center, Garrett Bradbury, is a potential salary cap dump per The Athletic. If the Pats kick Jared Wilson inside to center to replace Bradbury, they will need a new left guard.
On defense, the Pats may not bring back K’Lavon Chaisson after his 12-sack season. If he departs, they will need more pass rush juice. Mike Vrabel said in his opening presser at the NFL Combine that they have met with a bunch of the edge players in this year’s class.
DT Christian Barmore also has some ongoing legal issues, but the way his future was talked about compared to Diggs was much more in favor of the defensive tackle sticking around (he is two years into his four-year extension).
Final takeaway: If the Patriots don’t reinvent themselves this offseason, they will end up like the 2025 Washington Commanders. They won’t be as lucky when it comes to their schedule or positive injury luck (fewest total points lost by injury per Sports Info Solutions) in 2026.
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