Patriots Rookies Get Less-Than-Ideal Placements In Latest Rankings
Patriots Rookies Get Less-Than-Ideal Placements In Latest Rankings
The New England Patriots' first two picks in this year's draft still have room to improve.Ethan Hurwitz|
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New England PatriotsWe are still way too far from the start of the 2026 NFL season to be truly getting the most decisive rookie rankings. After the teams have gone through OTAs and mandatory minicamp, we've gotten looks at the incoming rookie classes, including the group drafted by the New England Patriots.
The Patriots selected nine players in April's draft, and have high hopes for a group expected to help fill in the gaps from last year's Super Bowl-losing squad. They moved up and down the board to bring in young help at offensive tackle, edge rusher, cornerback and linebacker.
But one NFL draft analyst isn't as high on the Patriots' first two selected rookies compared to some other highly-drafted players. On SI's Justin Melo ranked the first 50 picks from the first two rounds, and the Patriots got the stick instead of the carrot.
Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu (28th overall) and Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas (55th overall) were ranked 35th and 47th on Melo's 50-player rankings, respectively.
Were these rankings fair, or a bit too harsh into their NFL careers? Let's dive in.
Caleb Lomu Ranked Lower Than Draft Slot:
For Lomu, a lot of what the Patriots drafted him on is on expectations. A left tackle for the Utes in college, there really isn't a clear path into the starting lineup in New England. Will Campbell has that spot locked down going into his second season, while veteran Morgan Moses has performed well on the other side.
Lomu has worked in both spots during the spring, as well as some snaps at guard, but has yet to be given a spot in the starting lineup. For that reason, he's ranked below some offensive linemen that were taken in the first round (Pittsburgh's Max Iheanachor was ranked 27th, while Miami's Kadyn Proctor was ranked 31st).
"The New England Patriots aren't asking first-round pick Caleb Lomu to play right away," Melo wrote. "He'll be their swing tackle as a rookie while preparing to replace aging right tackle Morgan Moses next season. That plan should work out nicely for Lomu, who is still developing his profile after displaying some rawness on tape."
It's a perfectly fair ranking, especially when you consider the fact that Lomu was the final offensive tackle taken in a pretty deep group coming out of college. The future is there with him, and the coaching staff is more than happy about his development, but it's not outrageous to see a clouded outlook for him right now.
"He’s been an unbelievably coachable player. He’s young, he’s big, he’s athletic and he’s willing to learn," head coach Mike Vrabel said earlier in the offseason. "He’s excited about learning. Where he plays, we want to end up with the five best linemen. He’ll have the ability to play both sides."
Lomu's ranking is right where it should be. For Jacas, you could argue that his is too high.
Gabe Jacas Remains A Major Question Mark:
He's ranked 47th out of 50 players, and the Patriots traded three picks to move up and get him. How could he possibly be ranked too high?
Considering he's yet to sign his rookie contract, has only appeared at one offseason practice (and did not particpate) and is going through what Vrabel called a "procedure," you could make the argument that he should be ranked last at this point in time.
"Gabe Jacas was a situational pass rusher with tremendous burst and power off the line. He compiled 11 sacks this past season at Illinois," Melo wrote. "Once officially signed to his rookie contract, the New England Patriots will be getting an edge defender who can eventually replace Harold Landry III and/or Dre'Mont Jones."
The talent is not a question for Jacas, who's expected to become a real terror for offensive linemen off the edges. It's also not unheard of to see second round draft picks, especially in recent seasons, wait to try and get as much guaranteed money out of their contract as they can.
It's just a bit odd that he's yet to show his face at any team event, practice or otherwise, since the Patriots' rookie minicamp back in May. While he may be more talented than the players who were ranked behind him, it's hard to see what's transpired so far as a positive in any way you look at it.
We still have plenty of time until Lomu, Jacas and the rest of the 2026 rookie class steps onto the field for their first meaningful snaps of NFL football. Will the Patriots duo prove their worth? They certainly can, but it would take a bit of time.
Published 30 minutes ago | Modified 21 minutes ago
ETHAN HURWITZEthan Hurwitz is a writer for Patriots on SI. He works to find out-of-the-box stories that change the way you look at sports. He’s covered the behind-the-scenes discussions behind Ivy League football, how a stuffed animal helped a softball team’s playoff chances and tracked down a fan who caught a historic hockey stick. Ethan graduated from Quinnipiac University with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism, and oversaw The Quinnipiac Chronicle’s sports coverage for almost three years.
Follow HurwitzSportsSydney Sweeney Struts in Micro Shorts in New 4th of July American Eagle Campaign After Controversy
Sydney Sweeney is back and better than ever in a new American Eagle ad.
Sweeney, 28, stunned in an all-denim look while posing on the beach for a 4th of July campaign, which launched on Wednesday, July 1. The Euphoria star rocked a denim Bow-Front Vest, which retails for $54.95, featuring adjustable halter straps, a plunging neckline and straps that tie in the front.
Sweeney paired the look with low-rise Micro Shorts ($49.95), which were complete with a dark wash and distressed finish.
For glam, the Anyone But You star stunned with dewy skin, sun-kissed cheeks, long lashes and lined, pink lips. Her blonde bob was parted down the middle and styled in beachy waves.
In one pic, the It Girl closed her eyes and beamed for the camera while sitting in the sand. She also looked over her shoulder in another pic, with her hands in the back pockets of her cheeky bottoms.
Sweeney also looked her best in a promotional video. In the clip, she danced on the beach while lighting sparklers. “Syd for Short,” a message across the screen read.
This isn’t the first time Sweeney has posed for American Eagle. In July 2025, she went under fire for modeling a denim jacket and pants with the double entendre, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
The statement quickly sparked debate about race and beauty standards for the double play on “genes.”
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Related: Sydney Sweeney Stuns in 2nd American Eagle Campaign Following Controversy
Sydney Sweeney has teamed up with American Eagle again for a sexy summer campaign following her previously controversial ad with the company. Sweeney, 28, posed for the brand’s “Syd for Short: American Eagle Jean Shorts” ad, which launched on Wednesday, April 15. In the campaign, the Euphoria actress looked her best in a pair of […]American Eagle responded to the backlash in August 2025, writing via Instagram, “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
At the time, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that “Sydney thinks this whole thing has been blown out of proportion.”
The insider added, “She’s focusing her energy on work, including being back on set with her Euphoria family.” (The Euphoria season 3 finale aired on May 31.)
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Trump's Annual Earnings Skyrocketed to $2.2 Billion in 2025 ... for Some Reason
July 1, 2026
Making money is hard. Just ask Donald Trump. Back in 2022, House Democrats released years of the then-former and now-current president’s tax returns, which showed that Trump the entrepreneur was significantly less successful than The Art of the Deal would have you believe. They painted a picture of a floundering businessman who was doing his best to dodge taxes and scrape together income, something Trump mastered throughout his long career.
But now, it appears that Trump has finally found an industry that works: open corruption, crypto scams, and nepotistic crony capitalism that siphons off wealth, rakes in gifts, and feeds them into his personal coffers. He just needed to become president of the United States.
Trump revealed in financial disclosures this week that he has made $2.2 billion in 2025, up from $622 million in 2024, the year before he returned to the White House. The astronomical sum includes a diverse portfolio of investments and businesses, but is mostly comprised of one brazen cryptocurrency scam: World Liberty Financial, a crypto company that offers the $TRUMP memecoin. Trump made a staggering $1.4 billion on crypto last year, fueled both by getting his supporters to buy into $TRUMP and a massive private deal in which a UAE-linked investment firm paid almost $500 million for a 49 percent stake in World Liberty Financial.
But let’s break down what that means in simple terms. One: Trump sells a memecoin to his followers, using his personal social media channels to boost it. This is basically the same scam Trump has been running for years. If you’ve been on his mailing lists since 2016, you’ve been inundated with ads for physical Trump coins, digital trading cards, and all sorts of commemorative and allegedly collectible memorabilia. Crypto is essentially the same grift, with the added flavor that Trump can pass it off as an “investment” opportunity, something that may pay dividends for the everyday Americans who are duped into buying it. Trump has also taken a host of actions benefiting the crypto industry — and thus, his and his family’s finances — since retaking office, while touting the industry publicly.
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Trump claims that he isn’t “involved” in the running of these businesses, which is about as flimsy of an excuse as you can get. “We have funds that run that money,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Q: Your financial disclosure shows you had a very lucrative year last year. What message does this send to average Americans?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 1, 2026
TRUMP: Well, you know, I don't get involved. We have funds that run my money
Q: But you are benefitting. We're talking billions of dollars
TRUMP: Well… pic.twitter.com/y0CVPXc4NB
In reality, Trump and his family are the only ones getting rich. But it’s the other half of that windfall that’s even more concerning. While garden-variety crypto-grift is bad, the dark money investment in a Trump-owned company by a firm that is linked to the government of the UAE suggests that foreign influence could be playing a large role in the growth of Trump’s personal fortune. In other words, he’s basically getting a payout from the government of another nation.
This isn’t the first time Trump has engaged in open corruption with members of a foreign nation. His comments about his financial disclosure on Wednesday came on the tarmac in front of his new private plane, also known as Air Force One, which was paid for and gifted to him by the Qatari government, and retrofitted with hundreds of millions of taxpayer money.
“You want a Pulitzer Prize? A picture of the plane.” Trump joked.
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Trump took his first flight on the Qatari-gifted jet shortly after. “Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary,” Trump said. “They spent top dollars.”
The plane is valued at roughly $400 million. The government will not retain ownership of the plan after Trump leaves office. It will instead be gifted to his presidential library.
