B+
New England Patriots
Grand theft in pick 99: the Patriots steal Bond and grade out a B+.
by Rob ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Isaiah Bond, the No. 35 name on the board, should have been long gone before Round 4, Pick 3. It does the job without flash, and the B+ reflects it.
Mukuba has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped quarterback, which is a strange place to end up.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 13 they get a premier pass rusher, reach and all. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In pick 30 they get an anchor for the offensive line at fair value. A real need, handled.
A straight-up fair deal on Jonah Savaiinaea at pick No. 35, value and slot in agreement. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Omarion Hampton at No. 40 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. The roster fit checks out.
A market-rate tight end, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Mitchell Evans. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
You do not let an edge rusher like Jack Sawyer reach Round 3, Pick 3 and blink. They did not. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Isaiah Bond at the Round 4 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Aireontae Ersery this early at the 100th pick. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Andrew Mukuba at pick 109 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They reached into another round for Alfred Collins, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jaheim Oatis in the 195th overall pick, miles early. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.