A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Gordon II fall into their laps, and walked away with a A-.
by Hushpuppie13 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
Somebody in No. 220 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Patriots sat still while Ollie Gordon II, the No. 171 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium. A near-flawless weekend of work, and a A- to cap it.
They are betting Hairston proves the room right and everyone else wrong. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. It is not that Simon is a bad player; it is that the Patriots had louder needs to answer first.
For all the activity, interior defensive lineman went untouched, which is hard to explain.
It is a haul that will look even better come September.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 14th overall pick they get a difference-maker at receiver. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Jonah Savaiinaea in No. 38 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It fills a real need, too.
Maxwell Hairston at pick 45 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Kyle Kennard at pick No. 69 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They read the board right and Isaiah Bond was the payoff at the 86th pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They will replay Chris Paul Jr. at Round 4, Pick 4 for years; that is how good the value is. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They bypassed pressing needs at interior defensive lineman, safety and other spots to take Cody Simon, a linebacker that was not the priority.
Mitchell Evans at the Round 5 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A need, and now a little less of one.
Dont'e Thornton Jr. at the 217th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A running back of that caliber at the Round 7 slot is the definition of value, full stop. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Steal is underselling it; Luke Lachey at slot 238 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.