C
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Winston Jr. fall and pounced. Final grade: C.
by ZS ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 2 steals
· 2 reaches
The Patriots spent the weekend waiting on one name, and it fell: Kevin Winston Jr., the No. 92 name on the board, in the 143rd overall pick.
The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. They are betting Jackson proves the room right and everyone else wrong. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
In the end, one you will need a couple of seasons to truly judge.
Pick-by-Pick
Will Campbell in slot 4 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Nothing to complain about; Emeka Egbuka went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Alfred Collins. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Tyler Warren at pick 77 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Domani Jackson. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Cody Simon at No. 132 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the linebacker. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They barely believed it either: Kevin Winston Jr. still on the board at Round 5, Pick 6. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.