A-
New England Patriots
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Patriots and Neal: A-.
by Amanch38 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
Call it larceny. Devin Neal sat on the board until the Round 7 slot, and the Patriots did not need to be asked twice. Very little went wrong, and the A- is earned.
They are betting Cornelius proves the room right and everyone else wrong. The phones were where this weekend was really won. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through edge rusher.
Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
Few war rooms will sleep better than this one tonight.
Pick-by-Pick
They did well to land Tate Ratledge in pick 34, just ahead of his grade. It fills a real need, too.
They read the board right and Emeka Egbuka was the payoff at the Round 2 slot. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid a round early for Donovan Jackson in Round 3, Pick 5, more than the board wanted. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They reached into another round for Ajani Cornelius, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jake Majors at the 104th pick is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Mello Dotson in pick No. 143. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Devin Neal at the 217th overall pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Steal is underselling it; Smael Mondon Jr. at No. 220 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It adds depth where they could use a little.
You do not let a running back like Cam Skattebo reach pick 238 and blink. They did not. A need, and now a little less of one.