B
New England Patriots
Best value of the weekend goes to the Patriots for Milroe: B.
by DREDD ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 26 picks
· 5 steals
· 9 reaches
Somebody in pick No. 112 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Patriots sat still while Jalen Milroe, the No. 52 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.
They will need Simon to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The veteran additions, Dion Dawkins chief among them, give the class a floor the rookies alone would not.
Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 8 of 8 of the wish list covered. It is a bet on later, and a defensible one for a team playing the long game.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 26th pick they get an island corner. More want than need.
In pick No. 27 they get protection for the quarterback at a price that makes it sweeter. A clean fit for the roster.
Good price on Jack Sawyer in No. 38, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Shavon Revel Jr. in Round 2, Pick 9 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Nice patience on Jay Higgins, who had no business lasting to the Round 3 slot. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Kyle Kennard in the 86th overall pick. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Malachi Moore at slot 92 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
You do not let a quarterback like Jalen Milroe reach pick 112 and blink. They did not. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid sticker price for Rylie Mills in the 118th pick, and that is fine. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A clean, defensible pick in slot 119 with a little surplus value in Armand Membou. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jayden Higgins at pick 128 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
No edge and no loss on Lathan Ransom in Round 5, Pick 1; it is a wash and a sensible one. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Taking Tahj Brooks in the 143rd overall pick is close to grand larceny; a running back that good had no business lasting this long. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Cobee Bryant at pick No. 144 is a conviction pick that outran the value. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
A premium they did not need to pay, Omarr Norman-Lott a notch or two before his time. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jack Bech at No. 162 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A reach for Jaishawn Barham in Round 5, Pick 30; a little patience would have been rewarded. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
A real head-scratcher, Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the 178th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Value said wait; Quincy Riley in slot 180 says they were not listening. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Hunter Wohler in the Round 6 slot is fair value, right on his grade. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A straight-up fair deal on Luke Lachey at the 218th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They went early on Damien Martinez in pick 220, and the value did not follow. It fills a real need, too.
The board had cheaper options than De'Corian Clark at No. 223, and it noticed. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jason Henderson at pick No. 227 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
They talked themselves into Cody Simon at Round 7, Pick 22, and the board did not agree. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
By-the-book stuff, Marcus Mbow at pick No. 244 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.