B
New England Patriots
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Patriots a B.
by :3 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 1 steals
· 6 reaches
Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Patriots spent pick No. 240 on Thor Griffith, a name the board had a full 55 spots lower. No fireworks, but a solid B.
The phones were where this weekend was really won. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Simon pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch.
Adding A.J. Brown by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 32nd pick they get an every-down engine for the run game at fair value. A real need, handled.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Tate Ratledge well ahead of where he belonged. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A premium they did not need to pay, Ozzy Trapilo a notch or two before his time. The roster fit checks out.
They paid a round early for Charles Grant in the Round 3 slot, more than the board wanted. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jaylin Noel in No. 96 is fair value, right on his grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Fair-plus on Jake Majors, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It fills a real need, too.
The board had Cody Simon higher than the 145th pick, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Dorian Strong. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
CJ West at pick No. 219 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Value said wait; Tonka Hemingway in the 222nd overall pick says they were not listening. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A wild overpay on Thor Griffith in pick 240, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jahvaree Ritzie at the Round 7 slot jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.