C+
New England Patriots
The Patriots cashed the board's mistake on Simon: C+.
by davelanz1 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Cody Simon, the No. 125 name on the board, should have been long gone before the 220th overall pick. A mixed bag that lands at C+.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. Every board in the league had Lachey lower, and that gap is the story.
They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. The dealing tilted against them, just enough to notice.
If Tetairoa McMillan and a couple of the gambles land, hindsight will be kinder than this grade.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 4 they get a weapon on the perimeter. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In slot 17 they get protection for the quarterback at fair value. A real need, handled.
The board fumbled Nick Emmanwori all the way to Round 2, Pick 4, and they scooped it up. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They will replay Harold Fannin Jr. at the Round 3 slot for years; that is how good the value is. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A tidy bit of business in pick 103, where Jake Majors graded well above the range. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Somehow Quinshon Judkins was still sitting there in the 138th pick, and they pounced on premier running back value. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A top-tier running back at a bargain, Raheim Sanders in the 219th overall pick, plain and simple. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Cody Simon in No. 220 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They jumped the gun on Luke Lachey, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A need, and now a little less of one.