B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots turned the phones into found money: B+.
by DoscheSchneider ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Patriots reached some 45 spots for Brady Cook, and value like that does not grow back.
The phones were where this weekend was really won. A whole weekend of picks and interior defensive lineman is somehow still a want.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 11th pick they get a matchup weapon at tight end. A real need, handled.
A tidy bit of business in slot 38, where Malaki Starks graded well above the range. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Jayden Higgins at No. 69 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Tate Ratledge in Round 3, Pick 13. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Denzel Burke at pick 121 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
By-the-book stuff, Nick Nash at the 144th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Tyler Baron in pick No. 157. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Brady Cook at the Round 7 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.