C+
New England Patriots
The Patriots land in the muddy middle: C+.
by Dpilon1973 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
The tape said wait; the Patriots did not. Que Robinson went at pick 77, a good 143 picks before the board was ready. A mixed bag that lands at C+.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Schwesinger. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job. The back end got a real overhaul.
Hit on Travis Hunter and the swing picks, and this ages a lot better than it grades today.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 4th pick they get a lockdown presence outside. More want than need.
Grey Zabel at Round 2, Pick 6 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They read the board right and Dylan Fairchild was the payoff at No. 69. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Que Robinson at the Round 3 slot is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Vernon Broughton in pick 104, miles early. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Shilo Sanders at slot 143 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A big swing on Jimmy Horn Jr. at pick No. 217, well ahead of any board in the building. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
You do not let a linebacker like Cody Simon reach No. 220 and blink. They did not. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Carson Schwesinger at slot 238 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.