Ventola: Patriots Rookie Class Criminally Underrated in Recent Rankings

In a recent ranking of all 32 teams' rookie classes by On SI's Justin Melo, the New England Patriots' 2026 draftees were placed 24th, a criminally underrated ranking for a group which has already made substantial contributions just five weeks into their careers.

Here's how New England's rookie class has proven itself to be far better than the subpar ranking it earned.

OT Caleb Lomu Playing His Part

Lomu has had a limited role early this season for the Patriots, but has impressed in the opportunities he has gotten.

New England drafted the former Utah lineman in the first round as the long-term replacement to veteran right tackle Morgan Moses. Through the Patriots' first four games of the season, Lomu had solely been used on a limited snap count in relief of Moses and as a jumbo tight end.

However, on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, Lomu had his first opportunity for extended playing time. When starting left tackle Will Campbell went down with an injury early in the matchup, Lomu stepped up.

The 21-year-old allowed just one pressure on his 25 pass blocking snaps. The 4% pressure rate allowed was second-best among New England linemen, behind just Alijah Vera Tucker (0 pressures on 38 pass blocks).

"I don't think it was too big for him," head coach Mike Vrabel said regarding Lomu's performance. "I think he was able to settle down. You didn't really notice him a lot, so I think that's probably a good thing. He was able to anchor at times on some power and allowed Drake (Maye) to be able transfer up into the pocket. I thought it worked together well with (Alijah Vera-Tucker) when he got in there."

While Lomu hasn't quite contributed on a game-by-game, play-by-play basis, he has thrived in his role as a sixth lineman and emergency fill-in.

EDGE Gabe Jacas Tracking Toward Stardom

The start to Jacas' tenure in New England was filled with its fair share of turmoil. However, since then, the second-round pick has helped revitalize the Patriots' edge rusher room. The 22-year-old's top-tier strength has shown up through the first five weeks of his career.

"He cares an extreme amount," Vrabel said on Sept. 20. "He comes in early; he stays late; he's with (outside linebackers coach) Mike Smith; he works with me; he works with all the coaches; he cares about his teammates. He goes hard, makes mistakes. The thing about Gabe is that he can work through mistakes, and I think that's really critical for any young player trying to improve."

Through his first five career games, Jacas has tallied 1.5 sacks, 17 total tackles and an interception.

TE Eli Raridon: A Swiss Army Knife

When Raridon was first drafted, it seemed uncertain he would have an opportunity to carve out a substantial role in the Patriots' offense. However, after veteran Julian Hill suffered a season-ending injury in the summer, Raridon was quickly thrown into the fire as the Patriots' second tight end.

The rookie has taken full advantage of his opportunities thus far. Raridon has shown flashes of being a true multi-tool player for New England's offense. Against the Raiders, the 22-year-old caught all five of his targets for 57 yards.

"I think it was good to see Eli work at the line of scrimmage, block a little bit, but then also be able to get out and do some things in the pass game and things that he'll have to improve on," Vrabel said on Monday about Raridon's performance in Week 5. "If you're targeted five times as a tight end, you want five catches."

Late-Round, Undrafted Rookies Contributing On Talented Roster

While the Patriots' first few draft picks have gotten extended looks early on, New England has also gotten plenty of contributions on the back-end of its roster from a handful of rookies. Five of the team's six picks on the final day of the NFL Draft made the 53-man roster. The team also currently carries a trio of undrafted free agents, with another two currently on injured reserve.

Operating with a roster fresh off a Super Bowl appearance, which has since made signifcant upgrades through trades and free agency, the Patriots still getting valuable play out of late-round and undrafted rookies is a positive sign for what the group can do in the future.

From the significant contributions by early-round pick to the work being done by the rest of the Patriots' rookies, ranking New England's draft class 24th is simply blasphemous.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!