C+
New England Patriots
The Patriots did enough to get by: C+.
by s4d5f6 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 8 reaches
Call it a hunch or call it a gamble, but the Patriots spent pick No. 105 on Jackson Slater, a name most had 38 spots down the list. The good and the questionable cancel out to a C+.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
They came away with juice, if not much beef up front.
Not a disaster, not a triumph, just a middling class.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 4th pick they get a moveable chess piece at tight end, reach and all. A clean fit for the roster.
They talked themselves into Jack Bech at the Round 2 slot, and the board did not agree. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid up for Ozzy Trapilo at pick No. 69 when waiting would have done the job. A need, and now a little less of one.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Cam Skattebo well ahead of where he belonged. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Value said wait; Jackson Slater in pick 105 says they were not listening. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jack Nelson. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They jumped the gun on Isaac TeSlaa, taking him earlier than his grade liked. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A wild overpay on Cody Lindenberg in pick No. 222, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
No edge and no loss on Hunter Wohler in Round 7, Pick 22; it is a wash and a sensible one. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.