B
New England Patriots
Larceny in Round 7, Pick 21 lands the Patriots a B, Mullings and all.
by Pats Hopeful ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 7 steals
· 2 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Kalel Mullings fell into slot 235. No fireworks, but a solid B.
They will need Cornelius to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. A whole weekend of picks and interior defensive lineman is somehow still a want. The roster is better shaped than it was, with edge rusher chief among the fixes.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 7th pick they get protection for the quarterback, reach and all. A real need, handled.
Emeka Egbuka at pick 38 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They took Nic Scourton at par in pick No. 39, which is nothing to complain about. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Ajani Cornelius in No. 70 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
Jalen Royals in slot 80 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Gunnar Helm at Round 4, Pick 5 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Mello Dotson slid further than he should have, and the 141st overall pick is lovely value for the cornerback. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Somehow Chris Paul Jr. was still sitting there in the Round 7 slot, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
You do not let a safety like Sonny Styles reach slot 223 and blink. They did not. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Steal is underselling it; Kalel Mullings at pick 235 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.