B-
New England Patriots
Larceny in the 144th pick lands the Patriots a B-, Jackson and all.
by PatrickSiska ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
Somebody in the Round 5 slot was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Patriots sat still while Ja'Quinden Jackson, the No. 103 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Strong has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 3 they get a cornerstone up front at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
Value with a capital V on Luther Burden III in No. 41, a genuine coup. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Emery Jones Jr. at pick No. 76 is the proof. A need, and now a little less of one.
They barely believed it either: Domani Jackson still on the board at the Round 3 slot. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Evan Stewart in the 108th overall pick. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Steal is underselling it; Ja'Quinden Jackson at slot 144 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It fills a real need, too.
They took Tonka Hemingway at par in the 194th pick, which is nothing to complain about. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Jake Briningstool at Round 7, Pick 4 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Amari Kight at No. 220 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They did well to land Dasan McCullough in pick 230, just ahead of his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Fair-plus on PJ Williams, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Dorian Strong in the 256th pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.