A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots won the night they stopped Trice from sliding. Grade: A-.
by Nieder 17 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 0 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Bralen Trice fell into the Round 3 slot. The sum of the weekend is a deserved A-.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. A whole weekend of picks and interior defensive lineman is somehow still a want.
In the end it comes back to Amarius Mims, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Amarius Mims. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jordan Morgan slid further than he should have, and the 34th pick is lovely value for the offensive lineman. It fills a real need, too.
J.J. McCarthy at pick No. 38 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The roster fit checks out.
Xavier Worthy in No. 42 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Bralen Trice at Round 3, Pick 4 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A straight-up fair deal on Jaden Hicks at the Round 4 slot, value and slot in agreement. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Tykee Smith is a better player than pick 104 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Frank Gore Jr. at slot 177 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They took Jaylan Ford at par in pick 182, which is nothing to complain about. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A slide stopped in the Round 7 slot, with Myles Jones worth more than the price. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.