Patriots' Draft Steal Sends Bold Message on Disrespect

This New England Patriots' NFL Draft steal has sent a rather strong message on his disrespectful slide.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida State defensive lineman Joshua Farmer (DL10) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots were able to land Florida State defensive tackle Joshua Farmer in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, perhaps bagging one of the biggest steals of the class.

A bunch of interior defensive linemen flew off the board before Farmer, and not surprisingly, the Seminoles star is not taking too kindly to being disrespected.

Among his first comments as a new member of the Patriots, Farmer sent a strong message to everyone who doubted him in the draft.

“I think I was the 17th defensive tackle taken,” Farmer said. “Everybody in the world knows that’s not how that was supposed to go. I’m going to get there and prove everybody wrong.”

Many expected Farmer to be a Day 2 pick, but he slid all the way to the 137th pick. It was one of many shocking slides in this year's draft class, and while Shedeur Sanders' fall stole the show, the fact that Farmer was still available for New England so deep into the event was jarring.

The 22-year-old registered 32 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks in 2024. He spent four seasons at Florida State, establishing himself as one of the more dominant defensive linemen in the ACC.

Farmer will join a revamped Pats front seven that added names like Milton Williams, Harold Landry and Robert Spillane in free agency. He may struggle to get playing time early on, but there is no doubt that the 6'3", 318-pound tackle should the field throughout the 2025 campaign.

How much Farmer will get a chance to contribute may also depend on the status of Christian Barmore, who is making his way back after a scare with blood clots last season.

Regardless, this was a fantastic pick by the Patriots.

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