B+
New England Patriots
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Patriots a B+.
by ian ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 3 steals
· 3 reaches
There is reaching, and then there is Jalen McLeod at pick 145. The Patriots jumped the board by 50 and dared it to prove them wrong. They moved the roster forward and banked a B+ for it.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. Landing Nolen that late papers over a lot of smaller sins.
The safety spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 14 they get a building block for the line, a steep price for the projection. A real need, handled.
You do not let an interior defensive lineman like Walter Nolen reach the 38th pick and blink. They did not. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A reach for Azareye'h Thomas in the 45th overall pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. It adds depth where they could use a little.
By-the-book stuff, Jack Bech at No. 69 squarely in line with his ranking. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Dylan Sampson in the Round 3 slot. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Ozzy Trapilo in pick 105 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Jalen McLeod in the 145th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.