FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The confetti has barely been swept from the floor of SoFi Stadium, but the sting of 29-13 remains fresh. Watching Sam Darnold sit comfortably in the pocket while the Seattle Seahawks carved up the secondary was a brutal reality check for a Patriots defense that otherwise overachieved in 2025.
Head Coach Mike Vrabel’s aggressive four-down front revitalized the unit, ranking top-ten in total defense. But when it mattered most—on the biggest stage—the pass rush vanished. Ranking 19th in win rate during the regular season wasn’t just a stat; it was a warning sign that flashed red in the Super Bowl.
With K’Lavon Chaisson hitting free agency and Harold Landry’s knee remaining a question mark, New England sits at pick No. 31 with a clear mandate: Find someone who can hunt. Here are five names likely circling the war room at One Patriot Place.
1. Cashius Howell — DE, Texas A&M
The file: 6-foot-2, 248 lbs | 2025 Sacks: 11.5
If you want a clone of Harold Landry before the injuries piled up, turn on the Texas A&M tape. Howell doesn’t just run around blockers; he ghosts them. His 11.5 sacks in the SEC this past season came from elite bend—the ability to dip his shoulder inches from the turf while turning the corner at full speed.
He isn’t a power broker who will bull-rush a 330-pound tackle into the quarterback’s lap. Instead, he wins with a deceptive first step and a “hesitation-go” move that leaves linemen punching air. At pick 31, he offers the pure speed off the edge this unit desperately lacked against Seattle.
2. R Mason Thomas — Edge, Oklahoma
The file: 6-foot-2, 249 lbs | Trait: High-Octane Burst
Thomas plays like he was shot out of a cannon. Scouts frequently use “violent” to describe his takeoff. While some prospects need a runway to build speed, Thomas hits top gear by his second step. This “hellacious takeoff” allows him to convert speed to power instantly, popping offensive tackles back on their heels before they can set their anchor.
Vrabel loves defenders who finish, and Thomas has shown a knack for chasing down plays from the backside. He isn’t just a pass-rush specialist; he’s a sideline-to-sideline problem.
3. Akheem Mesidor — Edge, Miami
The file: 6-foot-3, 265 lbs | 2025 Production: 12.5 Sacks, 11 Pressures
Mesidor is the “adult in the room” for this draft class. He enters the league with a refined toolbox that usually takes pros three years to develop. He can win with finesse against heavy-footed tackles or switch to a bull rush against undersized guards.
His versatility is his calling card. In Vrabel’s scheme, which loves to confuse quarterbacks by moving rushers around, Mesidor can line up at defensive end on first down and slide inside to defensive tackle on third down. He’s ready to play Week 1.
4. Gabe Jacas — DE/LB, Illinois
The file: 6-foot-3, 270 lbs | Superpower: 400+ lb Bench Press
Jacas is a terrifying mix of mass and physics. A former wrestler, he understands leverage better than arguably any rusher in this class. When he gets his hands inside a blocker’s chest plate, the rep is over. He led his conference with 11 sacks, but his 13.5 tackles for loss stand out even more.
New England struggled to set the edge in the Super Bowl run game. Jacas fixes that overnight. He plays with heavy hands and a low center of gravity, making him nearly impossible to move.
5. Jake Golday — LB, Cincinnati
The file: 6-foot-4, 240 lbs | Role: The Wildcard
Golday isn’t a clean fit for the current defense, and that might be exactly why they need him. He is a chaos agent. Standing 6-foot-4, he has the length to disrupt passing lanes and the athleticism to drop into coverage or blitz from the slot.
Think of him less as a traditional defensive end and more as a weapon to neutralize the modern, mobile quarterbacks that plague the AFC East. He does his best work near the line of scrimmage, reading the quarterback’s eyes and batting down balls when he can’t get home.
“We have the guys to win fights in the alley. Now we need the guys who can knock the door down. We’re looking for hunters, plain and simple.”
— Mike Vrabel, Head Coach (Post-Super Bowl Presser)
What’s Next?
The Patriots have the cap space to patch holes, but you don’t buy elite pass rushers in free agency without overpaying. The solution lies in the draft. If New England stands pat at No. 31, expect one of these five names to be wearing a Flying Elvis cap come April. The standard has been reset; now they need the personnel to meet it.
