B
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Taylor fall into their laps, and walked away with a B.
by Jasonmroll14 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 11 steals
· 4 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Mason Taylor, the No. 101 name on the board, stolen at Round 7, Pick 7.
They will need Jones Jr. to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. They will answer for taking linebacker early while edge rusher and quarterback went begging.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 25 they get a ballhawk on the outside, and a steal at that.
Malaki Starks in pick 39 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Jalon Walker slipping to No. 43 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A big swing on Donovan Jackson at pick No. 70, well ahead of any board in the building. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose linebacker. Jihaad Campbell in the 76th pick leaves edge rusher and quarterback for later.
Colston Loveland in Round 3, Pick 16 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A real head-scratcher, Emery Jones Jr. in the 85th overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached a country mile for DeMonte Capehart at the Round 4 slot, and the board is aghast. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
The board fumbled Jack Bech all the way to the 121st pick, and they scooped it up. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Sebastian Castro in the Round 5 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Mason Taylor at No. 221 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Circle this one: Harold Perkins Jr. at pick No. 223 is a fall that decides a draft. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
They will replay Ollie Gordon II at the 235th overall pick for years; that is how good the value is. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Seth McLaughlin at pick 249 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They reached into another round for Javontez Spraggins, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It fills a real need, too.