B+
New England Patriots
Larceny in pick No. 217 lands the Patriots a B+, Sanders and all.
by BBB ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 9 steals
· 1 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Raheim Sanders, the No. 146 name on the board, should have been long gone before No. 217.
They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. They will answer for taking cornerback early while edge rusher, quarterback and other spots went begging. Every board in the league had Monheim lower, and that gap is the story.
A modest surplus at the table, banked quietly.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 11 they get a run-stuffing presence up front. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In the 25th overall pick they get an island corner, and a steal at that. More want than need.
They barely believed it either: Will Campbell still on the board at pick 37. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Somehow Nick Emmanwori was still sitting there in Round 2, Pick 17, and they pounced on premier safety value. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jihaad Campbell at slot 69 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Josh Conerly Jr. in the Round 3 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Nothing to complain about; Elic Ayomanor went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A straight-up fair deal on Hollin Pierce at the 105th pick, value and slot in agreement. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went cornerback with Domani Jackson while clear needs at edge rusher, quarterback and other spots sat open.
Circle this one: Danny Stutsman at the 143rd overall pick is a fall that decides a draft. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Jonah Monheim in the Round 6 slot is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It fills a real need, too.
A running back of that caliber at the 212th pick is the definition of value, full stop. The roster fit checks out.
Taking Raheim Sanders in Round 7, Pick 1 is close to grand larceny; a running back that good had no business lasting this long. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.