D+
New England Patriots
The Patriots answered their biggest question with Daniels. Grade: D+.
by BBB ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 21 picks
· 1 steals
· 6 reaches
The phones were a trap the Patriots kept walking into, shipping out surplus on nearly every deal.
The whole projection now runs through Jayden Daniels; hit there and everything else looks smarter. The cost of the Jean-Baptiste reach is exactly the players who went right after him. McGlothern at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 5th overall pick they get the face of the franchise. A real need, handled.
They took Xavier Legette at par in No. 38, which is nothing to complain about. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No drama and no debate, Chris Braswell went about where he belonged in the Round 2 slot. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Kingsley Suamataia at Round 2, Pick 22 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Patrick Paul in slot 68 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A straight-up fair deal on Devontez Walker at pick 69, value and slot in agreement. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Braelon Allen in the 103rd pick is fair value, right on his grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid sticker price for Cole Bishop in pick No. 105, and that is fine. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
No edge and no loss on Zak Zinter in the 106th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. It fills a real need, too.
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Elijah Jones. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Mohamed Kamara at the Round 4 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Justin Eboigbe in No. 137 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
By-the-book stuff, Luke McCaffrey at pick 142 squarely in line with his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Marist Liufau in the 147th pick, miles early. A minor itch, scratched.
They paid a round early for AJ Barner in slot 156, more than the board wanted. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A premium they did not need to pay, Jordan Jefferson a notch or two before his time. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A straight-up fair deal on Cornelius Johnson at pick No. 181, value and slot in agreement. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Dwight McGlothern at the 182nd pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
A market-rate edge rusher, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Myles Cole. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste at pick 195 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They went early on Trey Knox in the Round 6 slot, and the value did not follow. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.