B+
New England Patriots
Nobody dealt better than the Patriots this weekend: B+.
by Yves ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 4 steals
· 6 reaches
If confidence were a draft strategy, the Patriots would have aced it. Nick Nash at slot 106 is 148 spots clear of where he belonged. It nets out to a B+, which feels about right.
Getting Paul Jr. where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped safety, which is a strange place to end up.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get an anchor for the offensive line, though the board says they badly overpaid.
They reached a country mile for Donovan Ezeiruaku at the 38th pick, and the board is aghast. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A reach on Aireontae Ersery in pick No. 39; the board had better options right there. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They liked Dylan Fairchild enough to skip the value, taking him in slot 45. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Deone Walker. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Jayden Higgins in pick 76 is fair value, right on his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid sticker price for Omarr Norman-Lott in pick No. 80, and that is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Value said wait; Nick Nash in the Round 4 slot says they were not listening. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Will Lee III in No. 141, miles early. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They did well to land Jaylin Noel in the 151st pick, just ahead of his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They barely believed it either: Chris Paul Jr. still on the board at the 186th overall pick. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Cam Skattebo in slot 221 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Steal is underselling it; Elijah Arroyo at Round 7, Pick 9 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The roster fit checks out.
Taking Seth McLaughlin in pick 235 is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.