B+
New England Patriots
Larceny in slot 77 lands the Patriots a B+, Golden and all.
by James B ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 7 steals
· 0 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Matthew Golden, the No. 11 name on the board, stolen at the Round 3 slot.
They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
The Jarrett Kingston pickup adds a known quantity to a class of unknowns.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 4 they get a double-digit-sack hope at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Tetairoa McMillan in the Round 2 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Matthew Golden in the 77th pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Ozzy Trapilo in pick 108 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A need, and now a little less of one.
A running back of that caliber at the 144th overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Oronde Gadsden II at pick No. 217 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They will replay Jaylen Reed at Round 7, Pick 4 for years; that is how good the value is. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They robbed the room for Joshua Gray here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It fills a real need, too.