B+
New England Patriots
Grand theft in the 103rd overall pick: the Patriots steal Helm and grade out a B+.
by jimmyharbur ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Patriots watched Gunnar Helm slide 33 picks past his grade and did not hesitate. The bottom line is a respectable B+.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. The Cornelius pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 7 they get a featured back. A real need, handled.
Jalon Walker in Round 2, Pick 4 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They robbed the room for Xavier Watts here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They talked themselves into Ajani Cornelius at the Round 3 slot, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A tight end of that caliber at the 103rd overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. A need, and now a little less of one.
Good price on Rylie Mills in No. 138, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They barely believed it either: Seth McLaughlin still on the board at slot 219. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Davison Igbinosun slid further than he should have, and pick 220 is lovely value for the cornerback. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.