B-
New England Patriots
More right than wrong for the Patriots, and a B- to prove it.
by s4d5f6 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 7 reaches
The Eli Cox pick is the one that will follow the Patriots into the fall. They took him 105 spots ahead of his grade, and the board is not shy about saying so. It does the job without flash, and the B- reflects it.
They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 4 they get a blindside protector. A real need, handled.
Jack Bech at the Round 2 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Tate Ratledge at the 69th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Ozzy Trapilo at Round 3, Pick 13 is a conviction pick that outran the value. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They liked Anthony Belton enough to skip the value, taking him in slot 106. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A real head-scratcher, KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the 144th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Jarquez Hunter in the Round 7 slot is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It fills a real need, too.
A big swing on Andrew Armstrong at the 220th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Eli Cox in slot 238 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A need, and now a little less of one.