B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B-.
by Rob ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 reaches
They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Jaheim Oatis, 29 picks early at the 195th pick. Good, not great, and the B- says as much.
That wide receiver hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Getting Pearce Jr. where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
A small leak at the table, if not a fatal one. On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with edge rusher the one that mattered most.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but wide receiver.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 20 they get a bendy edge with upside at a price that makes it sweeter. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Malaki Starks is a better player than pick No. 30 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Emery Jones in the 35th pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Tyler Booker in pick 52 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Mitchell Evans at Round 3, Pick 3 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A tidy bit of business in slot 99, where Oscar Delp graded well above the range. The roster fit checks out.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Alfred Collins this early at pick 131. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jaheim Oatis. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.