B+
New England Patriots
Best value of the weekend goes to the Patriots for Mondon Jr.: B+.
by PoppaShart1x ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 5 steals
· 0 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Smael Mondon Jr. fell into pick No. 173.
The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. For all the activity, wide receiver went untouched, which is hard to explain.
The Patriots clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before. They left with edge rusher solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
No drama and no debate, Abdul Carter went about where he belonged in slot 4. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Circle this one: Kaleb Johnson at Round 3, Pick 13 is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Demetrius Knight Jr. in the 119th pick, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Mason Taylor at pick No. 143 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A need, and now a little less of one.
They robbed the room for Smael Mondon Jr. here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
They took Jaylin Smith at par in the 217th overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
The board had Jonah Monheim higher than No. 220, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. The roster fit checks out.