B
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Watts fall and pounced. Final grade: B.
by EMANPATSFAN ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 9 steals
· 0 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Patriots watched Xavier Watts slide 94 picks past his grade and did not hesitate.
They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it. With edge rusher, wide receiver and other spots unsolved, spending premium capital on cornerback is the choice that costs them. They squeezed a little extra out of every move they made.
The back end got a real overhaul.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 4 they get a lockdown presence outside. More want than need.
They bypassed pressing needs at edge rusher, wide receiver and other spots to take Will Johnson, a cornerback that was not the priority.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Nick Emmanwori in slot 68, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Steal is underselling it; Omarion Hampton at Round 3, Pick 19 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They barely believed it either: Jalon Walker still on the board at pick 105. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They robbed the room for Xavier Watts here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Somehow Danny Stutsman was still sitting there in No. 147, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Raheim Sanders in the Round 7 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Circle this one: Xavier Nwankpa at No. 223 is a fall that decides a draft. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
You do not let a linebacker like David Walker reach slot 241 and blink. They did not. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.