A
New England Patriots
Nobody dealt better than the Patriots this weekend: A.
by coachmazz ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 12 steals
· 5 reaches
Boards are made to be trusted, and the Patriots shredded theirs for Reuben Fatheree II. He came off 96 spots early, and the room will hear about it.
The Taaffe value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through quarterback.
The veteran additions, Matt Goncalves chief among them, give the class a floor the rookies alone would not.
Bottom line, with Abdul Carter leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a problem off the edge, outstanding value to boot. Exactly the need they had to hit.
You do not let an edge rusher like James Pearce Jr. reach pick 60 and blink. They did not. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Malachi Moore at the 68th overall pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Value with a capital V on Jake Majors in pick No. 79, a genuine coup. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Tyleik Williams at No. 83 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Jalen Royals at the 84th pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They robbed the room for Tyler Warren here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A slide stopped in pick 105, with Darrell Jackson Jr. worth more than the price. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Taking Devin Neal in the 116th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a running back that good had no business lasting this long. A need, and now a little less of one.
Deontae Lawson in the 142nd pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Somehow Luke Kandra was still sitting there in Round 5, Pick 14, and they pounced on premier offensive lineman value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They reached into another round for Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Michael Taaffe in the Round 6 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A big swing on Azareye'h Thomas at slot 205, well ahead of any board in the building. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Steal is underselling it; Brant Kuithe at Round 7, Pick 6 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Thor Griffith. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Garrett Dellinger in the 239th pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Reuben Fatheree II in slot 241, miles early. The roster fit checks out.