B+
New England Patriots
A solid, sensible weekend for the Patriots: B+.
by BBB ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Marist Liufau, 29 picks early at pick 137. It nets out to a B+, which feels about right.
They banked enough surplus on McGlothern to cover a lot of smaller sins. They squeezed a little extra out of every move they made. Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 8 of 8 of the wish list covered.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
A market-rate tight end, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Brock Bowers. It fills a real need, too.
Brian Thomas Jr. at the Round 2 slot nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A tidy little value on Adonai Mitchell in No. 37, a step better than break-even. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Chris Braswell in the 38th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Kingsley Suamataia at pick 68 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Sedrick Van Pran at Round 3, Pick 8 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. The roster fit checks out.
Marshawn Kneeland at slot 74 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
No drama and no debate, Cam Hart went about where he belonged in pick 100. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They paid sticker price for Braelon Allen in the 103rd overall pick, and that is fine. A need, and now a little less of one.
They paid up for Matt Goncalves at pick No. 106 when waiting would have done the job. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
No edge and no loss on Mohamed Kamara in No. 129; it is a wash and a sensible one. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They jumped the gun on Jalyx Hunt, taking him earlier than his grade liked. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Marist Liufau in Round 5, Pick 1, miles early. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Dwight McGlothern at the Round 6 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They went early on Myles Cole in the 185th overall pick, and the value did not follow. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Joe Milton III in the Round 6 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Logan Lee in No. 222 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A reach for Josh Proctor in Round 7, Pick 11; a little patience would have been rewarded. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.