B-
New England Patriots
A solid, sensible weekend for the Patriots: B-.
by Jbrandenn ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 reaches
There is conviction, and then there is this. The Patriots took Jimmy Horn Jr. a full 78 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend.
The Mondon Jr. value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it. With interior defensive lineman, safety and other spots unsolved, spending premium capital on cornerback is the choice that costs them.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
Travis Hunter at the 3rd pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A minor itch, scratched.
They let Jack Sawyer come to them and pounced at slot 40. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Tyler Warren at the Round 3 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The roster fit checks out.
Ozzy Trapilo in pick No. 77 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It fills a real need, too.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Tacario Davis adds a cornerback and leaves interior defensive lineman, safety and other spots untouched.
They barely believed it either: Smael Mondon Jr. still on the board at Round 5, Pick 5. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They read the board right and Ar'maj Reed-Adams was the payoff at the 219th pick. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
No drama and no debate, Jake Briningstool went about where he belonged in No. 222. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jimmy Horn Jr. at the Round 7 slot is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.