B-
New England Patriots
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Patriots.
by ebpd179 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
The Patriots did not so much draft Drew Kendall as overpay for him, 48 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.
However the rest shakes out, Royals at that price is a win they earned. The quarterback spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Edge rusher is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 4 they get a plug-and-play piece up front. A real need, handled.
By-the-book stuff, Tyler Booker at the 38th pick squarely in line with his ranking. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A safety of that caliber at slot 69 is the definition of value, full stop. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They read the board right and Cameron Williams was the payoff at the Round 3 slot. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jalen Royals in pick 106 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Sai'vion Jones at the 144th overall pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the edge rusher. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They robbed the room for Jaydon Blue here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They paid sticker price for Howard Cross III in the 220th pick, and that is fine. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Drew Kendall. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.