B
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Skattebo fall into their laps, and walked away with a B.
by J ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 7 steals
· 3 reaches
Somebody in Round 7, Pick 1 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Patriots sat still while Cam Skattebo, the No. 113 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium.
Reaching for Bech left real value on the table behind him. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Spending an early pick on linebacker with edge rusher, safety and other spots open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to. The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
They let Tyler Warren come to them and pounced at pick No. 33. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Value with a capital V on Emeka Egbuka in No. 38, a genuine coup. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jalon Walker at the 45th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Jack Bech at the 69th pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Maxwell Hairston in slot 77 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Jihaad Campbell at linebacker with edge rusher, safety and other spots open.
They bypassed pressing needs at edge rusher, safety and other spots to take Azareye'h Thomas, a cornerback that was not the priority.
Shemar Turner at Round 5, Pick 6 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
The board fumbled Cam Skattebo all the way to pick No. 217, and they scooped it up. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They robbed the room for Lander Barton here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Somehow Ollie Gordon II was still sitting there in pick 238, and they pounced on premier running back value. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.