C+
New England Patriots
Best value of the weekend goes to the Patriots for James: C+.
by d[I;op ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 3 steals
· 6 reaches
The board owed the Patriots one, and it paid up: Jordan James, the No. 123 name on the board, sitting there at Round 7, Pick 24 like a gift left on the doorstep. Some smart calls, some head-scratchers, and a C+ in the wash.
Every board in the league had Horn Jr. lower, and that gap is the story. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, Justin Jefferson leading the way.
The trade work was a quiet net positive.
It grades out a shrug today, with plenty of room to move either way.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 4 they get a centerpiece for the ground game. A clean fit for the roster.
A big swing on Donovan Jackson at pick 38, well ahead of any board in the building. A need, and now a little less of one.
Denzel Burke at the Round 3 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
No edge and no loss on Tate Ratledge in the 77th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A linebacker of that caliber at slot 105 is the definition of value, full stop. A minor itch, scratched.
Willie Lampkin at Round 5, Pick 8 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They reached into another round for Thor Griffith, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Lander Barton in pick No. 217, plain and simple. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Shilo Sanders. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A real head-scratcher, Jimmy Horn Jr. in pick 222 is miles ahead of his ranking. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Steal is underselling it; Jordan James at the 240th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.