A-
New England Patriots
Grand theft in pick 130: the Patriots steal Edwards and grade out a A-.
by Moto98 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 5 steals
· 0 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Donovan Edwards fell into the 130th pick. The sum of the weekend is a deserved A-.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Adding Jordan Addison by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.
Bottom line, they did the job about as well as it can be done.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 9 they get a blindside protector at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
A tidy bit of business in the 34th overall pick, where Denzel Burke graded well above the range. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Xavier Watts at Round 3, Pick 2 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Tez Johnson in pick No. 98 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Donovan Edwards at No. 130 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It fills a real need, too.
They barely believed it either: J.C. Davis still on the board at slot 145. The roster fit checks out.
By-the-book stuff, Tim Smith at the 194th pick squarely in line with his ranking. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.