B
New England Patriots
Grand theft in Round 7, Pick 4: the Patriots steal Barton and grade out a B.
by timmy451 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Lander Barton fell into slot 220.
Leaving wide receiver unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. They will need Jackson to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The roster is better shaped than it was, with edge rusher chief among the fixes.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the wide receiver spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a bendy edge with upside. The biggest hole, addressed.
They paid sticker price for Tyler Booker in Round 2, Pick 6, and that is fine. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A premium they did not need to pay, Donovan Jackson a notch or two before his time. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A tidy bit of business in slot 77, where Demetrius Knight Jr. graded well above the range. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Kaleb Johnson in No. 104 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Steal is underselling it; Kevin Winston Jr. at pick No. 143 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A top-tier tight end at a bargain, Elijah Arroyo in pick 217, plain and simple. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
You do not let a linebacker like Lander Barton reach the 220th overall pick and blink. They did not. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
They barely believed it either: Jared Wilson still on the board at No. 238. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.