A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots cashed the board's mistake on Baker: A-.
by mick7can ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 0 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Javon Baker, the No. 186 name on the board, should have been long gone before pick 235.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
The imported veterans give this class a floor the draft picks could not on their own.
Bottom line, with Brock Bowers leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 9th overall pick they get a moveable chess piece at tight end at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
By-the-book stuff, Tyler Guyton at slot 34 squarely in line with his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.
Cooper Beebe at the 80th pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They read the board right and Bucky Irving was the payoff at pick No. 104. It fills a real need, too.
A slide stopped in Round 4, Pick 16, with Khyree Jackson worth more than the price. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Nothing to complain about; Javon Foster went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Circle this one: Jaylin Simpson at the Round 6 slot is a fall that decides a draft. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
A tidy little value on Josh Wallace in No. 229, a step better than break-even. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
A wide receiver of that caliber at the Round 7 slot is the definition of value, full stop. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.