B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.
by s4d5f6 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
The Patriots torched the value chart for Eli Cox, taking him 115 spots sooner than anyone had him slotted. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Hunter. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. Job largely done: wide receiver settled and 4 of 8 of the wish list covered.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
Ashton Jeanty at the 4th pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The roster fit checks out.
Colston Loveland slid further than he should have, and No. 38 is lovely value for the tight end. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jack Bech in pick No. 69 lands just on the right side of the ledger. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jaylin Noel in pick 77 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
By-the-book stuff, Anthony Belton at Round 4, Pick 4 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith at the 144th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jarquez Hunter in slot 217 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It fills a real need, too.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jalen Travis. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They reached into another round for Eli Cox, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A need, and now a little less of one.