The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Chris Paul Jr. fell into pick 220.
Reaching for Griffith left real value on the table behind him. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain.
The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, Braden Smith leading the way.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.14
· Pick 14
· Abdul Carter
· DE-EDGE
· rank 7
Fair-plus on Abdul Carter, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R2.5
· Pick 37
· Isaiah Bond
· WR
· rank 32
A clean, defensible pick in Round 2, Pick 5 with a little surplus value in Isaiah Bond. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R2.6
· Pick 38
· Tyler Warren
· TE
· rank 44
A straight-up fair deal on Tyler Warren at No. 38, value and slot in agreement. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R2.30
· Pick 62
· Tyleik Williams
· DT
· rank 54
They read the board right and Tyleik Williams was the payoff at the 62nd overall pick. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R3.5
· Pick 69
· Trey Amos
· CB
· rank 57
A slide stopped in pick No. 69, with Trey Amos worth more than the price. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R3.13
· Pick 77
· Andrew Mukuba
· S
· rank 71
Nothing to complain about; Andrew Mukuba went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R4.4
· Pick 105
· Cam Skattebo
· RB
· rank 113
They jumped the gun on Cam Skattebo, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R5.6
· Pick 143
· Jake Majors
· C
· rank 93
You do not let an offensive lineman like Jake Majors reach pick 143 and blink. They did not. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R7.1
· Pick 217
· Thor Griffith
· DL
· rank 274
Value said wait; Thor Griffith in the Round 7 slot says they were not listening. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R7.4
· Pick 220
· Chris Paul Jr.
· LB
· rank 116
Somehow Chris Paul Jr. was still sitting there in No. 220, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R7.25
· Pick 241
· Logan Parr
· OG
· rank 228
They let Logan Parr come to them and pounced at slot 241. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.