B
New England Patriots
Neal should have been long gone. The Patriots pounced, and earned a B.
by Jasonmroll14 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 7 steals
· 4 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Devin Neal got past him. The Patriots do not have to explain a thing at pick No. 223.
Every board in the league had Jones Jr. lower, and that gap is the story. The Stutsman pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with wide receiver and quarterback still on the board. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through wide receiver.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
No drama and no debate, Will Campbell went about where he belonged in slot 14. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They will replay Malaki Starks at the 38th overall pick for years; that is how good the value is. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jalon Walker at Round 2, Pick 7 is the proof. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Deone Walker at pick 57 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid up for Kyle Kennard at the Round 3 slot when waiting would have done the job. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Colston Loveland in pick No. 76 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Emery Jones Jr. well ahead of where he belonged. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Danny Stutsman at linebacker with wide receiver and quarterback open.
Somehow Sebastian Castro was still sitting there in the 141st overall pick, and they pounced on premier safety value. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Davison Igbinosun in slot 151, miles early. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A tidy little value on Jared Wilson in No. 221, a step better than break-even. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Steal is underselling it; Devin Neal at Round 7, Pick 9 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It fills a real need, too.
They barely believed it either: Jonah Monheim still on the board at pick No. 235. The roster fit checks out.
The board fumbled Ollie Gordon II all the way to the Round 7 slot, and they scooped it up. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.