B+
New England Patriots
A franchise passer in Daniels headlines a B+ weekend for the Patriots.
by pj_doucette ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The search is over. The Patriots handed the keys to Jayden Daniels, and the whole operation now runs on his development.
Getting King where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own.
The Smith pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. With edge rusher, safety and other spots unsolved, spending premium capital on DT-EDGE is the choice that costs them.
The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
Jayden Daniels at pick 5 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Value with a capital V on Brian Thomas Jr. in pick No. 34, a genuine coup. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Tyler Guyton in the 37th overall pick. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Xavier Legette in slot 69 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Fair-plus on Michael Hall Jr., a quiet win that adds up over a draft. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose DT-EDGE. Maason Smith in the Round 3 slot leaves edge rusher, safety and other spots for later.
Sataoa Laumea at the 103rd pick is a conviction pick that outran the value. A need, and now a little less of one.
They will replay Spencer Rattler at Round 5, Pick 1 for years; that is how good the value is. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Dillon Johnson at the Round 6 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Kalen King in the 193rd overall pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Taking Caedan Wallace in No. 231 is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.