A
New England Patriots
The Patriots robbed the room for Thrash. Final grade: A.
by Milk ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 7 steals
· 0 reaches
The Patriots did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Jamari Thrash fell into No. 238. This is how you run a draft, and the A reflects it.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.
Bottom line, they did the job about as well as it can be done.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a weapon on the perimeter at a price that makes it sweeter. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, Kris Abrams-Draine in the 103rd overall pick, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
The board fumbled Ja'Lynn Polk all the way to Round 4, Pick 35, and they scooped it up. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A offensive lineman of that caliber at slot 153 is the definition of value, full stop. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Taking Kitan Oladapo in pick No. 212 is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Steal is underselling it; Ro Torrence at pick 232 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Jamari Thrash in the 238th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.