B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots answered their biggest question with Maye. Grade: B-.
by J ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Patriots spent their marquee pick on Drake Maye, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Kinchens. If Suamataia pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 3 they get their guy under center for the next decade. A real need, handled.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Kingsley Suamataia in Round 2, Pick 2, miles early. A need, and now a little less of one.
Javon Baker at pick 68 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They will replay Kamren Kinchens at the Round 4 slot for years; that is how good the value is. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Circle this one: Will Shipley at pick No. 137 is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jared Wiley in the 180th overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The roster fit checks out.
Taking Dwight McGlothern in No. 193 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Nathaniel Watson at the 231st pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.