B-
New England Patriots
Simon should have been long gone. The Patriots pounced, and earned a B-.
by Hushpuppie13 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 6 steals
· 3 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Patriots watched Cody Simon slide 90 picks past his grade and did not hesitate. It does the job without flash, and the B- reflects it.
Every board in the league had Kandra lower, and that gap is the story. The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job. The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.
Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 4 they get a long-term starter on the line, even if it was a touch early. A clean fit for the roster.
Isaiah Bond at No. 36 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
The board had cheaper options than Darien Porter at the 68th overall pick, and it noticed. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Luke Kandra at pick 83 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Bradyn Swinson in Round 4, Pick 4 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Malachi Moore at the 142nd pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Cody Simon in the Round 7 slot is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Raheim Sanders at pick No. 223 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
You do not let a tight end like Terrance Ferguson reach No. 241 and blink. They did not. The roster fit checks out.