B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Stewart fall and pounced. Final grade: B+.
by danspencer68 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 11 steals
· 0 reaches
Somebody in No. 238 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Patriots sat still while Josaiah Stewart, the No. 41 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium. A dependable weekend that grades out a B+.
They will regret leaving safety for another day if the season turns on it. With safety, quarterback and other spots unsolved, spending premium capital on cornerback is the choice that costs them.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with edge rusher chief among the fixes.
Good work on the whole, with safety the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 14 they get a ballhawk on the outside, outstanding value to boot. More want than need.
Will Campbell at the 38th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It fills a real need, too.
A top-tier running back at a bargain, Ashton Jeanty in pick 45, plain and simple. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Wyatt Milum at the Round 3 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Walter Nolen in slot 77 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went cornerback with Jahdae Barron while clear needs at safety, quarterback and other spots sat open.
Tre Harris in the 143rd overall pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Somehow Jihaad Campbell was still sitting there in pick No. 217, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Xavier Restrepo in the 220th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They will replay Dylan Fairchild at the 232nd pick for years; that is how good the value is. The roster fit checks out.
Taking Josaiah Stewart in pick 238 is close to grand larceny; an edge rusher that good had no business lasting this long. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.