B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Paul Jr. fall and pounced. Final grade: B+.
by alexliapop ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Chris Paul Jr., the No. 117 name on the board, stolen at the Round 7 slot.
Every board in the league had Baker lower, and that gap is the story. The phones were where this weekend was really won. A whole weekend of picks and interior defensive lineman is somehow still a want.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
Tetairoa McMillan in the 4th pick is fair value, right on his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Tate Ratledge in pick 38 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They paid a round early for Darien Porter in No. 69, more than the board wanted. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Tosh Baker in the Round 5 slot, miles early. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They will replay Quinshon Judkins at pick No. 148 for years; that is how good the value is. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They barely believed it either: Mason Taylor still on the board at the 168th overall pick. A need, and now a little less of one.
Chris Paul Jr. at slot 217 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A tidy bit of business in Round 7, Pick 4, where Seth McLaughlin graded well above the range. It fills a real need, too.
They reached a country mile for Steven Parker at pick 241, and the board is aghast. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.