A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots won the night they stopped Neal from sliding. Grade: A-.
by BrianC ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Devin Neal fell into the Round 7 slot. It holds up to a second look, which is why it earns the A-.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. That quarterback hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Bottom line, with Will Johnson leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 14 they get a ballhawk on the outside. More want than need.
The board had cheaper options than JT Tuimoloau at Round 2, Pick 6, and it noticed. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Marcus Mbow in the 53rd overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Tyleik Williams at slot 69 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Tate Ratledge. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They read the board right and Tez Johnson was the payoff at the Round 4 slot. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They robbed the room for Quinshon Judkins here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
You do not let a linebacker like Kobe King reach pick 219 and blink. They did not. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Devin Neal in pick No. 237 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It fills a real need, too.
Billy Bowman Jr. at slot 240 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.