B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots robbed the room for Stewart. Final grade: B-.
by jim D ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 9 steals
· 0 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Josaiah Stewart, the No. 53 name on the board, stolen at pick No. 240.
The safety spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, Cooper Kupp leading the way.
They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. The bill for those future picks comes due whether the class hits or not.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the safety spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 4 they get a press-man option on the boundary. Need was not the driver here.
In slot 15 they get a quarterback's worst nightmare, outstanding value to boot. Exactly the need they had to hit.
You do not let an offensive lineman like Josh Simmons reach pick No. 38 and blink. They did not. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Ashton Jeanty in Round 3, Pick 5 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jalon Walker at No. 105 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Tre Harris in the 145th pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
The board fumbled Wyatt Milum all the way to the Round 6 slot, and they scooped it up. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
T.J. Sanders at the 219th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They will replay Jack Bech at No. 222 for years; that is how good the value is. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Taking Josaiah Stewart in pick 240 is close to grand larceny; an edge rusher that good had no business lasting this long. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.