B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots robbed the room for Harvey. Final grade: B-.
by johnnymac ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 7 steals
· 0 reaches
The value of the weekend has a name and a slot: RJ Harvey, the 240th overall pick, roughly 81 picks past where he belonged. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. They gave back a little on the phones for the right to move.
They went 7 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 14th overall pick they get a disruptor off the edge. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Nice patience on Kenneth Grant, who had no business lasting to pick No. 38. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Jonah Savaiinaea in slot 45 is fair value, right on his grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
Harold Fannin Jr. is a better player than the 69th pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Zy Alexander in Round 3, Pick 13. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Barrett Carter in the Round 4 slot, plain and simple. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Taking Billy Bowman Jr. in pick 145 is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Steal is underselling it; DJ Giddens at No. 219 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They will replay KeAndre Lambert-Smith at slot 222 for years; that is how good the value is. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They robbed the room for RJ Harvey here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It fills a real need, too.