B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots turned the phones into found money: B+.
by HowardS ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 0 steals
· 8 reaches
The Patriots torched the value chart for Mitchell Evans, taking him 118 spots sooner than anyone had him slotted. No fireworks, but a solid B+.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. A whole weekend of picks and wide receiver is somehow still a want.
The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, Joe Alt leading the way.
Good work on the whole, with wide receiver the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
A conviction pick on Jordan Burch at pick 36 that the board grades a round light. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
By-the-book stuff, Drew Allar at No. 67 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A premium they did not need to pay, Riley Mahlman a notch or two before his time. A need, and now a little less of one.
They reached into another round for Connor Colby, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A market-rate edge rusher, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Shemar Stewart. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Luke Lachey in the Round 5 slot is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Mitchell Evans this early at pick 154. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Trevor Etienne well ahead of where he belonged. It fills a real need, too.
They paid sticker price for Jason Henderson in the Round 7 slot, and that is fine. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Alfred Collins in Round 7, Pick 6, miles early. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A big swing on Jack Kiser at the 235th overall pick, well ahead of any board in the building. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.