A-
New England Patriots
Nobody dealt better than the Patriots this weekend: A-.
by Vindicator ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 16 picks
· 8 steals
· 5 reaches
The Patriots did not so much draft Barryn Sorrell as overpay for him, 223 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. It holds up to a second look, which is why it earns the A-.
Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Henderson. The phones were where this weekend was really won. Spending an early pick on linebacker with quarterback open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to.
That quarterback hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Bottom line, with Josh Simmons leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 16 they get protection for the quarterback at fair value. A real need, handled.
The board fumbled Nick Emmanwori all the way to slot 57, and they scooped it up. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jalon Walker in No. 59 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Circle this one: Benjamin Morrison at the 69th overall pick is a fall that decides a draft. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Deone Walker in pick No. 74. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Barryn Sorrell in the 105th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A slide stopped in slot 110, with Dylan Fairchild worth more than the price. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They robbed the room for TreVeyon Henderson here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. The roster fit checks out.
The needs board was loud and they turned it down, spending pick No. 128 on Barrett Carter with quarterback unsolved.
Value said wait; Howard Cross III in pick 145 says they were not listening. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Cam Skattebo in the 147th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Willie Lampkin at the Round 5 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A wild overpay on Joshua Simon in the 219th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It fills a real need, too.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Tonka Hemingway in Round 7, Pick 4, miles early. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They barely believed it either: Ricky White III still on the board at pick 234. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They reached into another round for R.J. Oben, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.