B
New England Patriots
The Patriots cashed the board's mistake on Smith: B.
by Pats Hopeful ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 4 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Brashard Smith at the Round 7 slot is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. It does the job without flash, and the B reflects it.
They will need Smith to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. They were the ones paying the moving tax this weekend.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 12th pick they get a No. 1 receiver. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Good price on Isaiah Bond in the Round 2 slot, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A safety of that caliber at the 43rd overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They reached into another round for Jack Nelson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Ozzy Trapilo in Round 3, Pick 16, miles early. It fills a real need, too.
Deontae Lawson in pick 106 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Gunnar Helm at pick No. 141 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Garrett Dellinger at No. 221 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Tim Smith in slot 223 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Brashard Smith in pick No. 235 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.