B+
New England Patriots
A passer of the future in Daniels, and a B+, for the Patriots.
by BBB ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 20 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Jayden Daniels is the Patriots' quarterback, full stop. Call it a sensible B+, earned the boring way.
The Torrence pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. The Guerendo pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 13 they get the face of the franchise. A real need, handled.
In pick No. 23 they get a matchup problem out wide at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They took Xavier Legette at par in Round 2, Pick 5, which is nothing to complain about. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
No drama and no debate, Patrick Paul went about where he belonged in pick 68. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They did well to land Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in the Round 3 slot, just ahead of his grade. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Brandon Dorlus at the 76th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Zak Zinter at slot 100 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Audric Estime in the 103rd pick is fair value, right on his grade. The roster fit checks out.
Cam Hart in the 108th pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Isaac Guerendo at pick No. 110 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It fills a real need, too.
No edge and no loss on Mohamed Kamara in pick 129; it is a wash and a sensible one. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
By-the-book stuff, Christian Jones at No. 131 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid a round early for Jalyx Hunt in the 137th overall pick, more than the board wanted. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They reached a country mile for Marist Liufau at Round 5, Pick 12, and the board is aghast. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Tip Reiman in slot 180 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid sticker price for Cornelius Johnson in the Round 6 slot, and that is fine. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They went early on Julian Pearl in pick 193, and the value did not follow. A need, and now a little less of one.
Jared Wiley is a better player than slot 222 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Ro Torrence at Round 7, Pick 6 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
The board had cheaper options than Josh Proctor at pick No. 231, and it noticed. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.