B-
New England Patriots
Skattebo should have been long gone. The Patriots pounced, and earned a B-.
by Jinx ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 5 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Cam Skattebo at No. 217 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. A dependable weekend that grades out a B-.
Every board in the league had Pierce lower, and that gap is the story. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
On the needs board they went 6 of 8, with wide receiver the one that mattered most. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
They liked Will Campbell enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 4. A need, and now a little less of one.
A clean, defensible pick in the 38th overall pick with a little surplus value in Isaiah Bond. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A wild overpay on Hollin Pierce in the Round 3 slot, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Smael Mondon Jr. at pick 77 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A minor itch, scratched.
Value said wait; Ozzy Trapilo in the 105th pick says they were not listening. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They paid up for DeMonte Capehart at Round 5, Pick 6 when waiting would have done the job. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
You do not let a running back like Cam Skattebo reach pick No. 217 and blink. They did not. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Jake Briningstool at slot 220 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Shilo Sanders at pick 241 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.