B+
New England Patriots
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Patriots and Simon: B+.
by CSMCStorm ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 7 steals
· 2 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Cody Simon, the No. 121 name on the board, should have been long gone before pick No. 220. It nets out to a B+, which feels about right.
Reaching for Sheppard left real value on the table behind him. The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. Caelen Carson gives the group a proven body among the projects.
It is a bet on later, and a defensible one for a team playing the long game.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
A reasonable price with a little left over, Mason Graham in slot 12. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Fair-plus on Tate Ratledge, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They read the board right and Dylan Fairchild was the payoff at the 69th pick. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A tidy bit of business in No. 78, where Zy Alexander graded well above the range. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Malachi Moore slipping to the Round 3 slot is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
You do not let a tight end like Gunnar Helm reach the 104th overall pick and blink. They did not. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A top-tier running back at a bargain, TreVeyon Henderson in pick 143, plain and simple. A need, and now a little less of one.
A linebacker of that caliber at pick No. 217 is the definition of value, full stop. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Steal is underselling it; Cody Simon at slot 220 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
They talked themselves into Elijhah Badger at No. 232, and the board did not agree. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A wild overpay on Will Sheppard in the 238th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.