B+
New England Patriots
Best value of the weekend goes to the Patriots for Fitzgerald: B+.
by Levin33 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 7 steals
· 1 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Ryan Fitzgerald fell into the 212th pick. They moved the roster forward and banked a B+ for it.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Every board in the league had Ersery lower, and that gap is the story.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a ballhawk on the outside. Need was not the driver here.
They did well to land Tate Ratledge in slot 37, just ahead of his grade. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Aireontae Ersery in Round 2, Pick 6 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Taking Jihaad Campbell in pick No. 69 is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Circle this one: Jordan James at pick 97 is a fall that decides a draft. It fills a real need, too.
They will replay TreVeyon Henderson at the 143rd pick for years; that is how good the value is. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Ryan Fitzgerald at No. 212 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Somehow Lander Barton was still sitting there in the 217th overall pick, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
They robbed the room for Carson Schwesinger here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Le'Veon Moss in slot 238 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. The roster fit checks out.