B-
New England Patriots
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Patriots a B-.
by Dpilon1973 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
The Patriots did not so much draft Jimmy Horn Jr. as overpay for him, 145 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend.
That is a linebacker worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped interior defensive lineman, which is a strange place to end up. They left with edge rusher solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
The back end got a real overhaul.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 4th pick they get an island corner at fair value. More want than need.
Aireontae Ersery at the Round 2 slot is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Dylan Fairchild at slot 69 is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Value said wait; Jordan Burch in Round 3, Pick 13 says they were not listening. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Elic Ayomanor at No. 104. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Jimmy Horn Jr. this early at pick 143. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Steal is underselling it; Chris Paul Jr. at Round 7, Pick 1 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It adds depth where they could use a little.
By-the-book stuff, Donovan Edwards at slot 220 squarely in line with his ranking. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached into another round for Will Sheppard, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.