B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Gordon II fall into their laps, and walked away with a B-.
by Yves ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 3 reaches
The board owed the Patriots one, and it paid up: Ollie Gordon II, the No. 167 name on the board, sitting there at slot 236 like a gift left on the doorstep. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.
They will need Nwankpa to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The trades bled value they could not afford to lose.
The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. The future picks help the war chest more than the win-now roster.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 15 they get an anchor for the defensive front at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Aireontae Ersery well ahead of where he belonged. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jalon Walker at the 46th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Tyler Warren in Round 3, Pick 7 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They went early on Donovan Jackson in the Round 3 slot, and the value did not follow. A need, and now a little less of one.
Jake Majors in pick No. 107 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Xavier Nwankpa in pick 142 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
By-the-book stuff, Clay Webb at slot 219 squarely in line with his ranking. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Jonah Monheim is a better player than the Round 7 slot suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board fumbled Ollie Gordon II all the way to the 236th pick, and they scooped it up. It fills a real need, too.