C+
New England Patriots
Lachey should have been long gone. The Patriots pounced, and earned a C+.
by Jnichols18 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 7 steals
· 1 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Luke Lachey, the No. 191 name on the board, should have been long gone before pick No. 238. For now it grades a C+, with the swing picks left to settle the rest.
Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. The Skattebo pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. That interior defensive lineman hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Hit on Abdul Carter and the swing picks, and this ages a lot better than it grades today.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 4 they get a bendy edge with upside. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Nick Emmanwori at pick No. 38 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Nice patience on Elic Ayomanor, who had no business lasting to pick 69. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Cam Skattebo in Round 3, Pick 15, miles early. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Elijah Arroyo at No. 106 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They barely believed it either: Anthony Belton still on the board at the Round 5 slot. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Circle this one: Woody Marks at the 217th pick is a fall that decides a draft. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Jaylen Reed in the 220th overall pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
You do not let a tight end like Luke Lachey reach the 238th overall pick and blink. They did not. It fills a real need, too.