B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots robbed the room for Mustapha. Final grade: B-.
by JDMin ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
The rest of the league will want that one back. Malik Mustapha tumbling to the Patriots in the 182nd pick is a gift they did not have to think twice about.
The cost of the Milton III reach is exactly the players who went right after him. The trades bled value they could not afford to lose.
The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with wide receiver the one that mattered most.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 18th pick they get a blindside protector. A real need, handled.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Brian Thomas Jr. in pick No. 34. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
The board fumbled Troy Fautanu all the way to No. 49, and they scooped it up. It fills a real need, too.
You do not let a cornerback like Ennis Rakestraw Jr. reach slot 68 and blink. They did not. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Trey Benson in Round 3, Pick 16. A need, and now a little less of one.
They read the board right and Zak Zinter was the payoff at pick 104. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Joe Milton III at the 136th overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The roster fit checks out.
Malik Mustapha at the Round 6 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jalen Berger slid further than he should have, and slot 229 is lovely value for the running back. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.