B-
New England Patriots
Larceny in the Round 7 slot lands the Patriots a B-, Reed and all.
by saacman ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 3 reaches
The Patriots spent the weekend waiting on one name, and it fell: Jaylen Reed, the No. 188 name on the board, in the 240th pick. A dependable weekend that grades out a B-.
They are betting Stackhouse proves the room right and everyone else wrong. The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through quarterback.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
A tidy little value on Tetairoa McMillan in slot 12, a step better than break-even. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jalon Walker at Round 2, Pick 6 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Marcus Mbow in the Round 3 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid a round early for Denzel Burke in pick No. 77, more than the board wanted. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They reached into another round for Kaimon Rucker, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
You do not let an offensive lineman like Anthony Belton reach No. 145 and blink. They did not. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Nazir Stackhouse in the 150th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Cobee Bryant slipping to pick 194 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
They barely believed it either: Ollie Gordon II still on the board at the 219th pick. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Jaylen Reed at No. 240 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.