A-
New England Patriots
Larceny in the Round 7 slot lands the Patriots a A-, Spears-Jennings and all.
by Figger19 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 7 steals
· 4 reaches
Thirty-one other rooms let Robert Spears-Jennings slide, and the Patriots were the ones holding the card at the 219th pick. Highway robbery. One of the weekend's best, top to bottom, and a A- to show for it.
They will need Hemingway to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The Burke pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with edge rusher and quarterback still on the board. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
A strong weekend's work, and a rare one to find this little fault with.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 14 they get a centerpiece for the ground game at a price that makes it sweeter. A real need, handled.
Somehow Jalon Walker was still sitting there in Round 2, Pick 6, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A tidy little value on Azareye'h Thomas in pick 69, a step better than break-even. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They paid sticker price for Elijah Arroyo in No. 77, and that is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Cam Skattebo this early at the 80th pick. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They paid a round early for Hollin Pierce in slot 105, more than the board wanted. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose cornerback. Denzel Burke in the 123rd overall pick leaves edge rusher and quarterback for later.
Carson Schwesinger at the Round 5 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Tez Johnson in No. 152 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Robert Spears-Jennings at Round 7, Pick 1 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Value said wait; Tonka Hemingway in the Round 7 slot says they were not listening. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They barely believed it either: R.J. Mickens still on the board at the 234th pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A conviction pick on Jackson Hawes at pick No. 239 that the board grades a round light. The roster fit checks out.
Seth McLaughlin at pick 240 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.