B-
New England Patriots
Good, not great, for the Patriots: B-.
by troynos ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
There is reaching, and then there is Dayon Hayes at slot 222. The Patriots jumped the board by 75 and dared it to prove them wrong. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.
The Winston Jr. pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. That interior defensive lineman hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. On the needs board they went 6 of 8, with edge rusher the one that mattered most.
They came away with juice, if not much beef up front.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
Ashton Jeanty in the Round 1 slot is fair value, right on his grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
A reach on Jonah Savaiinaea in pick No. 38; the board had better options right there. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A tidy bit of business in the 69th overall pick, where Elic Ayomanor graded well above the range. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They paid up for Ozzy Trapilo at the 77th pick when waiting would have done the job. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
The board fumbled Isaiah Bond all the way to No. 105, and they scooped it up. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Kevin Winston Jr. in Round 5, Pick 6, plain and simple. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Trevor Etienne in the Round 7 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The roster fit checks out.
Dayon Hayes at the 222nd pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A reach for Moliki Matavao in No. 240; a little patience would have been rewarded. It fills a real need, too.