B
New England Patriots
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Patriots: B.
by ZS ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
The Patriots did not so much draft Hollin Pierce as overpay for him, 41 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend.
The Thornton Jr. value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. The safety hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The roster is better shaped than it was, with edge rusher chief among the fixes.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 4th pick they get a disruptive interior force. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Emeka Egbuka slid further than he should have, and pick 38 is lovely value for the wide receiver. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They reached into another round for Jordan Burch, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Value said wait; Hollin Pierce in the Round 3 slot says they were not listening. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They paid sticker price for Cam Skattebo in slot 105, and that is fine. The roster fit checks out.
Nice patience on Cody Simon, who had no business lasting to the 145th overall pick. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Steal is underselling it; Dont'e Thornton Jr. at slot 219 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
No edge and no loss on Cam Jackson in pick No. 222; it is a wash and a sensible one. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Miles Frazier at pick 240 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.