B
New England Patriots
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Patriots and Mondon Jr.: B.
by coachmazz ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The rest of the league will want that one back. Smael Mondon Jr. tumbling to the Patriots in pick 179 is a gift they did not have to think twice about.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. They will need Ersery to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 6 they get an island corner at fair value.
Aireontae Ersery at the Round 2 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The roster fit checks out.
Good price on Tate Ratledge in the 38th overall pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It fills a real need, too.
Circle this one: Tyler Warren at the 69th pick is a fall that decides a draft. A need, and now a little less of one.
Nothing to complain about; Andrew Mukuba went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They liked Cam Skattebo enough to skip the value, taking him in pick 105. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Taking Jake Majors in Round 5, Pick 6 is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
The board fumbled Smael Mondon Jr. all the way to pick No. 179, and they scooped it up. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Jack Kiser at slot 216 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
You do not let a running back like Phil Mafah reach the 217th overall pick and blink. They did not. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They read the board right and Brant Kuithe was the payoff at pick No. 220. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
By-the-book stuff, Shilo Sanders at Round 7, Pick 25 squarely in line with his ranking. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.