B-
New England Patriots
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Patriots.
by Willyboys ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Ethan Downs, 126 picks early at pick No. 144.
They banked enough surplus on Hancock to cover a lot of smaller sins. The interior defensive lineman hole is the one line item this class does not answer. Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get juice off the edge, even if it was a touch early. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
A big swing on Bradyn Swinson at the 38th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A clean, defensible pick in pick No. 69 with a little surplus value in Jack Bech. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Dylan Fairchild in pick 77 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Circle this one: Darien Porter at the 106th overall pick is a fall that decides a draft. A minor itch, scratched.
Value said wait; Ethan Downs in No. 144 says they were not listening. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Corey Kiner at No. 217 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid up for Teddye Buchanan at Round 7, Pick 4 when waiting would have done the job. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A safety of that caliber at pick No. 238 is the definition of value, full stop. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.