A
New England Patriots
The Patriots robbed the room for Barton. Final grade: A.
by Parasec ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 9 steals
· 0 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Lander Barton fell into pick 219. A near-flawless weekend of work, and a A to cap it.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, Quenton Nelson leading the way.
Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
Add it up and few war rooms did better this weekend, Mason Graham and all.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 12 they get an anchor for the defensive front. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
A tidy bit of business in the Round 2 slot, where Tyler Booker graded well above the range. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They will replay Jihaad Campbell at Round 3, Pick 3 for years; that is how good the value is. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They let Jalen Royals come to them and pounced at slot 79. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They robbed the room for Kaleb Johnson here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It fills a real need, too.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Andrew Mukuba in the 105th pick, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Mason Taylor in No. 138 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Circle this one: Lander Barton at the 219th overall pick is a fall that decides a draft. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Taking Jonas Sanker in the 238th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Steal is underselling it; Jaishawn Barham at the Round 7 slot is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Stacking talent where they were already deep.