B
New England Patriots
Grand theft in the 83rd pick: the Patriots steal Watts and grade out a B.
by Apomp25 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 6 picks
· 5 steals
· 0 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Xavier Watts, the No. 31 name on the board, should have been long gone before slot 83.
The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. They left with edge rusher solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off. They came away with juice, if not much beef up front.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
Tetairoa McMillan in pick 4 is fair value, right on his grade. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Princely Umanmielen at pick No. 36 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Smael Mondon Jr. in the 68th pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Xavier Watts at the 83rd overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Circle this one: Tyler Warren at the Round 4 slot is a fall that decides a draft. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A top-tier running back at a bargain, Nicholas Singleton in No. 142, plain and simple. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.