B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B-.
by Dpilon1973 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 3 steals
· 6 reaches
Somebody in the 217th pick was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Patriots sat still while Nicholas Singleton, the No. 97 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium. A dependable weekend that grades out a B-.
If Horn Jr. pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Job largely done: wide receiver settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered. Nothing gained and nothing lost at the table.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a sticky cover corner at fair value. More want than need.
Derrick Harmon in slot 38 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A reach for Donovan Jackson in slot 69; a little patience would have been rewarded. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A big swing on Hayden Conner at the 104th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A wild overpay on Rylie Mills in Round 4, Pick 14, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Deontae Lawson at No. 143 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
A real head-scratcher, Jimmy Horn Jr. in the Round 6 slot is miles ahead of his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Shilo Sanders. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Circle this one: Nicholas Singleton at pick 217 is a fall that decides a draft. A need, and now a little less of one.
They barely believed it either: Kobe King still on the board at the 220th overall pick. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Xavier Truss in slot 238, miles early. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.