B+
New England Patriots
Nothing loud, just a tidy B+ for the Patriots.
by BBB ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 24 picks
· 2 steals
· 10 reaches
The war room fell hard for Sam Hartman, and it showed at the 222nd pick: 37 picks ahead of a board that had other ideas. More right than wrong, and a B+ to match.
They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. The Solomon pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with interior defensive lineman still on the board.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 13 they get a problem off the edge. Exactly the need they had to hit.
No edge and no loss on Xavier Legette in pick 34; it is a wash and a sensible one. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They went early on Kingsley Suamataia in slot 47, and the value did not follow. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A straight-up fair deal on Devontez Walker at No. 68, value and slot in agreement. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Calen Bullock at the 78th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Braelon Allen in pick No. 81, miles early. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Cole Bishop in the 102nd overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Brenden Rice in the Round 4 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
No drama and no debate, Zak Zinter went about where he belonged in pick No. 106. The roster fit checks out.
They paid sticker price for Matt Goncalves in the 108th pick, and that is fine. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Javon Solomon at OLB-EDGE with interior defensive lineman open.
A tidy little value on Elijah Jones in pick 122, a step better than break-even. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Justin Eboigbe. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Luke McCaffrey at slot 135 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A conviction pick on Jalyx Hunt at pick No. 137 that the board grades a round light. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Marist Liufau well ahead of where he belonged. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Jarrian Jones at slot 148. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
A reach for AJ Barner in No. 155; a little patience would have been rewarded. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A real head-scratcher, Joe Milton III in the Round 6 slot is miles ahead of his ranking. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Good price on Tip Reiman in Round 6, Pick 10, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
The board had cheaper options than Julian Pearl at the 186th overall pick, and it noticed. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A market-rate linebacker, with the board and the slot shaking hands on JD Bertrand. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Sam Hartman in pick 222 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It fills a real need, too.
Nathan Thomas in the 223rd overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.