B-
New England Patriots
Belton should have been long gone. The Patriots pounced, and earned a B-.
by Bonethug43 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 9 steals
· 0 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Anthony Belton fell into slot 217.
The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 17 they get an anchor for the offensive line at a price that makes it sweeter. A clean fit for the roster.
Nice patience on Jihaad Campbell, who had no business lasting to the 49th pick. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Value with a capital V on Xavier Restrepo in slot 77, a genuine coup. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
The board fumbled Alfred Collins all the way to pick No. 81, and they scooped it up. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They robbed the room for Mason Taylor here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A running back of that caliber at the Round 5 slot is the definition of value, full stop. It fills a real need, too.
Anthony Belton at the 217th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Dillon Gabriel in pick 220 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Logan Brown in pick 238 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.