B
New England Patriots
The Patriots robbed the room for Fitzgerald. Final grade: B.
by Hushpuppie13 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Patriots watched Ryan Fitzgerald slide 130 picks past his grade and did not hesitate. Good, not great, and the B says as much.
If Cornelius pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the interior defensive lineman spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 4 they get a bendy edge with upside at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
Matthew Golden at the 38th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A big swing on Ajani Cornelius at the 69th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They talked themselves into Maxwell Hairston at pick 77, and the board did not agree. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They barely believed it either: Malachi Moore still on the board at Round 4, Pick 3. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Joshua Gray at the Round 5 slot is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Taking Chris Paul Jr. in No. 217 is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Circle this one: Raheim Sanders at pick No. 220 is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They robbed the room for Ryan Fitzgerald here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.