Players to Watch at This Week’s NFL Combine

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The Super Bowl is just two weeks behind us, the tears of the New England Patriots have dried, and the focus is slowly shifting to the 2026 season.

Next week, the NFL Combine kicks off at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. From February 23 to March 2, all eyes will be on the college stars hoping to make the leap to the NFL in April’s draft.

The league has invited 319 prospects to participate — and 11 of them could potentially land with the New England Patriots.

Because Vrabel was tied up in the Patriots’ longer-than-expected season, he’ll be playing catch-up on most of the prospects that EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf, VP Ryan Cowden, and the rest of the personnel department have been tracking all year.

Patriots Could Target Edge Rusher and Tight End in First Two Rounds

One thing is clear: the Patriots are lucky this season not to be hunting for a new franchise quarterback. Right now, there are only two QBs considered first-round worthy: Fernando Mendoza, who’s being talked about as the No. 1 overall pick, and Ty Simpson.

The Patriots hold the 31st overall pick — but who could they target? According to ESPN writer Mike Reiss, New England may have its eye on the edge rusher position.

K’Lavon Chaisson is scheduled for free agency and will almost certainly test the market, while nine-year veteran Harold Landry III is looking to regain his form after a knee injury in Week 6 that slowed his season.

ESPN draft analyst Field Yates also threw out a few names: Missouri’s Zion Young, Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, Miami’s Akheem Mesidor, and Clemson’s T.J. Parker — all projected as potential back-end-of-the-first-round picks for New England.

The New England Patriots could also have needs at tight end. Hunter Henry is already 31, and his positional counterpart Austin Hooper is expected to test free agency.

ESPN’s Field Yates said the tight-end class doesn’t have the star power of last year — think Colston Loveland (No. 10, Bears) and Tyler Warren (No. 14, Colts) — but there’s still a ‘heavy volume of draftable’ options.

He listed Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq as the only tight end projected to go in the first round, calling him a ‘run-after-catch nightmare’ who could be a standout performer at the combine.

Another German Player for New England?

And then there’s the German tight end, Marlin Klein from the Michigan Wolverines. NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah has been highly impressed by Klein, bringing even more eyes to the young Cologne native — possibly including Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

Jeremiah views Klein as a realistic candidate for Day Two of the NFL Draft — where the Patriots hold picks No. 63 (second round) and No. 95 (third round). And they aren’t strangers to German players. Fullback Jakob Johnson, born in Stuttgart, played in New England from 2019 to 2021.

In Michigan’s pro-style offense, Klein developed into a versatile tight end. His game is defined by size, blocking ability, and athleticism. Jeremiah highlighted his physical tools: “Klein has the ideal build for a tight end. He gets off the line of scrimmage quickly and can catch the ball cleanly away from his body,” he said.

Wolf, the executive vice president of player personnel, is scheduled to lead off the Patriots’ contingent from a media standpoint at the combine. He’ll answer questions from reporters Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET from the sixth podium. Wednesday, Vrabel is scheduled to address reporters, at 1 p.m. ET.

Fabienne Lampe Fabienne Lampe is a German sports journalist, covering the NFL, College Football, NBA, and Formula 1 for Heavy Sports. Lampe has years of experience covering the NFL, especially the Atlanta Falcons as their sole German reporter. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in the NFL, including Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. Lampe also hosts a Formula 1 podcast and works as a play-by-play announcer. More about Fabienne Lampe