B
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Smith fall into their laps, and walked away with a B.
by EMANPATSFAN ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 7 steals
· 1 reaches
When a board-topper like Donovan Smith slides to slot 256, you do not overthink it, and the Patriots did not. They moved the roster forward and banked a B for it.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. If Ferguson pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. Wide receiver was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a long-term starter on the line. A clean fit for the roster.
Kaleb Johnson in pick 49 is fair value, right on his grade. The roster fit checks out.
The board had Jay Higgins higher than No. 72, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They will replay Colston Loveland at pick No. 86 for years; that is how good the value is. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Rod Moore at Round 4, Pick 7 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid sticker price for Rylie Mills in the 116th pick, and that is fine. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Raheim Sanders slid further than he should have, and slot 144 is lovely value for the running back. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Taking Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the 218th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Azareye'h Thomas in slot 220. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Terrance Ferguson at pick 236 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Donovan Smith at pick No. 256 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.