B+
New England Patriots
Grand theft in the Round 5 slot: the Patriots steal Leonard and grade out a B+.
by hey ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 2 steals
· 0 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Riley Leonard, the No. 74 name on the board, should have been long gone before slot 131. A dependable weekend that grades out a B+.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. The imported veterans give this class a floor the draft picks could not on their own.
They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 30th pick they get a centerpiece for the ground game. A clean fit for the roster.
They paid sticker price for Jaeden Roberts in the Round 3 slot, and that is fine. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
No drama and no debate, Hunter Wohler went about where he belonged in pick No. 92. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Smael Mondon Jr. slipping to pick 121 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A minor need, but a need all the same.
The board fumbled Riley Leonard all the way to the 131st overall pick, and they scooped it up. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Jaylin Noel at No. 184 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Theo Wease Jr. in Round 7, Pick 3 lands just on the right side of the ledger. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.