B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots fleeced the room on the phones and earned a B+.
by kastrup ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 3 reaches
The Patriots did not so much draft Drew Kendall as overpay for him, 56 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B+.
However the rest shakes out, Johnson at that price is a win they earned. The phones were where this weekend was really won. The quarterback spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, Tyler Smith leading the way.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but quarterback.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 12 they get an anchor for the offensive line. A real need, handled.
A tight end of that caliber at No. 38 is the definition of value, full stop. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Jayden Higgins at pick No. 49 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Alfred Collins is a better player than the Round 3 slot suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A wild overpay on Ashton Gillotte in the 77th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Devin Neal in Round 4, Pick 4 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They will replay Tez Johnson at Round 5, Pick 6 for years; that is how good the value is. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No drama and no debate, Jordan Hancock went about where he belonged in pick 217. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Nice patience on R.J. Mickens, who had no business lasting to the Round 7 slot. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Drew Kendall at No. 238 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The roster fit checks out.