B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots won the night they stopped Winston Jr. from sliding. Grade: B-.
by Sturmrider ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
You build a draft on nights like this. Kevin Winston Jr. had no business being available in No. 144, and the Patriots did the only sane thing and turned in the card. Call it a sensible B-, earned the boring way.
They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it. The cost of the Conerly Jr. reach is exactly the players who went right after him.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 14th overall pick they get a blindside protector, a steep price for the projection.
Matthew Golden at Round 2, Pick 6 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Donovan Jackson well ahead of where he belonged. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They did well to land Dylan Sampson in No. 69, just ahead of his grade. The roster fit checks out.
Elijah Arroyo at the Round 3 slot nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A need, and now a little less of one.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jared Wilson in pick No. 106. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They will replay Kevin Winston Jr. at slot 144 for years; that is how good the value is. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Luke Lachey slipping to the 217th pick is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They let Karene Reid come to them and pounced at the Round 7 slot. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Cam Horsley at slot 238 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.