A-
New England Patriots
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Patriots a A-.
by Yves ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 16 picks
· 5 steals
· 8 reaches
The Patriots did not so much draft Nick Nash as overpay for him, 113 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. Very little went wrong, and the A- is earned.
The Brooks pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck.
The Patriots clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before. The roster is better shaped than it was, with edge rusher chief among the fixes.
In the end it comes back to Harold Fannin Jr., and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
A tidy little value on Harold Fannin Jr. in the Round 2 slot, a step better than break-even. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Tyler Booker slid further than he should have, and Round 2, Pick 13 is lovely value for the offensive lineman. The roster fit checks out.
They paid up for Kyle Kennard at No. 70 when waiting would have done the job. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Omarr Norman-Lott at the 76th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
You do not let a safety like Xavier Watts reach the 80th pick and blink. They did not. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Tez Johnson in slot 97 is fair value, right on his grade. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Antwaun Powell-Ryland in Round 4, Pick 5 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Nick Nash at the 140th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Seth McLaughlin in the Round 5 slot, miles early. A need, and now a little less of one.
They reached a country mile for Nohl Williams at pick 151, and the board is aghast. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Will Lee III at No. 163 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Cam Skattebo in pick No. 168 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Carson Schwesinger in the 171st pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Steal is underselling it; Elijah Arroyo at slot 221 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Somehow Tahj Brooks was still sitting there in pick No. 223, and they pounced on premier running back value. It fills a real need, too.
A wild overpay on RJ Harvey in No. 235, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.