A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Ward fall into their laps, and walked away with a A-.
by Rob ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 11 steals
· 3 reaches
Thirty-one other rooms let Cam Ward slide, and the Patriots were the ones holding the card at the Round 7 slot. Highway robbery. A near-flawless weekend of work, and a A- to cap it.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. Reaching for Harmon left real value on the table behind him. The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, Joe Alt leading the way.
They trusted the board more than the depth chart.
Add it up and few war rooms did better this weekend, Travis Hunter and all.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 24 they get a press-man option on the boundary at a price that makes it sweeter. Need was not the driver here.
Somehow Ashton Jeanty was still sitting there in slot 36, and they pounced on premier running back value. It fills a real need, too.
Colston Loveland at No. 52 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The roster fit checks out.
Kenneth Grant at the 67th pick is a conviction pick that outran the value. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Walter Nolen in the 93rd overall pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Derrick Harmon in pick 103, miles early. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jahdae Barron in Round 5, Pick 1 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Circle this one: Tre Harris at the Round 7 slot is a fall that decides a draft. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
You do not let an offensive lineman like Wyatt Milum reach Round 7, Pick 6 and blink. They did not. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Bryce Foster at pick 235 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Steal is underselling it; Josaiah Stewart at pick No. 236 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A top-tier wide receiver at a bargain, Xavier Restrepo in the Round 7 slot, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They robbed the room for Lathan Ransom here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Taking Cam Ward in No. 239 is close to grand larceny; a quarterback that good had no business lasting this long. It patches a soft spot without any drama.