D
New England Patriots
The phones sank the Patriots this weekend: D.
by BBB ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 21 picks
· 5 steals
· 6 reaches
Every swap seemed to tilt away from the Patriots, and the value they bled adds up to real damage. Hard to defend, and the D reflects that.
Rice has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped quarterback, which is a strange place to end up.
They banked enough surplus on Bishop to cover a lot of smaller sins.
In the end, a class the front office will want to grow past quickly.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 15th pick they get an island corner at fair value. Need was not the driver here.
In No. 23 they get a double-digit-sack hope at a price that makes it sweeter. Exactly the need they had to hit.
JC Latham at Round 2, Pick 2 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Keon Coleman at pick No. 46 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Chris Braswell in pick 48 lands just on the right side of the ledger. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
No edge and no loss on Patrick Paul in the 68th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Brenden Rice at the Round 3 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They paid sticker price for Braelon Allen in slot 103, and that is fine. The roster fit checks out.
They went early on Theo Johnson in the 114th overall pick, and the value did not follow. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Cole Bishop in pick No. 129 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A reach for Justin Eboigbe in the Round 5 slot; a little patience would have been rewarded. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They jumped the gun on Luke McCaffrey, taking him earlier than his grade liked. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They talked themselves into Marist Liufau at No. 147, and the board did not agree. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Trevor Keegan is a better player than slot 153 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Fabien Lovett. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They took Tip Reiman at par in Round 6, Pick 5, which is nothing to complain about. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Dwight McGlothern at the Round 6 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Cornelius Johnson at the 184th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They liked Jaylen Harrell enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 193. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A clean, defensible pick in pick No. 222 with a little surplus value in Garret Greenfield. It fills a real need, too.
JD Bertrand in pick 223 is fair value, right on his grade. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.