B
New England Patriots
The Patriots robbed the room for Gordon II. Final grade: B.
by BBB ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 8 steals
· 2 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Ollie Gordon II, the No. 167 name on the board, should have been long gone before the Round 7 slot. Good, not great, and the B says as much.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. The Jackson Jr. pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with wide receiver the one that mattered most.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 3 they get a No. 1 receiver. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Jihaad Campbell in pick 44 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A reach for Darrell Jackson Jr. in the Round 3 slot; a little patience would have been rewarded. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
The board fumbled Omarion Hampton all the way to the 78th pick, and they scooped it up. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They read the board right and Jake Majors was the payoff at pick No. 107. The roster fit checks out.
Jack Nelson at No. 112 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Danny Stutsman at slot 142 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Sonny Styles at the 186th overall pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Nice patience on Jaishawn Barham, who had no business lasting to the Round 7 slot. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Xavier Nwankpa in No. 222 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jonah Monheim in pick 236 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
You do not let a running back like Ollie Gordon II reach the 253rd pick and blink. They did not. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.