C+
New England Patriots
The Patriots cashed the board's mistake on Pearsall: C+.
by JDMin ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 1 reaches
You build a draft on nights like this. Ricky Pearsall had no business being available in No. 104, and the Patriots did the only sane thing and turned in the card. Some smart calls, some head-scratchers, and a C+ in the wash.
Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
Call it incomplete, and check back in a couple of seasons.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 11 they get a cornerstone up front at fair value.
A reach on J.J. McCarthy in the 34th overall pick; the board had better options right there. A need, and now a little less of one.
Good price on Xavier Legette in the 42nd pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Caelen Carson in Round 3, Pick 4 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A minor need, but a need all the same.
You do not let a wide receiver like Ricky Pearsall reach pick 104 and blink. They did not. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
No drama and no debate, Jaheim Bell went about where he belonged in the Round 4 slot. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value with a capital V on Frank Gore Jr. in pick No. 182, a genuine coup. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Kenny Logan Jr. in slot 229 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.