C
New England Patriots
A franchise passer in McCarthy headlines a C weekend for the Patriots.
by BBB ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 22 picks
· 3 steals
· 8 reaches
The Patriots spent the pick that matters most on J.J. McCarthy, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape. Some smart calls, some head-scratchers, and a C in the wash.
That Rice pick is the receipt they will wave around later. The trades bled value they could not afford to lose.
They are betting Eboigbe proves the room right and everyone else wrong.
Hit on J.J. McCarthy and the swing picks, and this ages a lot better than it grades today.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get the arm they will build around, even if it was a touch early. A real need, handled.
In pick No. 32 they get a weapon on the perimeter at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Cooper DeJean in the 34th overall pick. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They paid up for Chris Braswell at slot 35 when waiting would have done the job. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A reach on Kingsley Suamataia in No. 47; the board had better options right there. A need, and now a little less of one.
By-the-book stuff, Patrick Paul at Round 3, Pick 7 squarely in line with his ranking. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Devontez Walker in pick 72 is fair value, right on his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Braelon Allen in the 103rd pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Maason Smith at No. 104 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
No drama and no debate, Cole Bishop went about where he belonged in slot 105. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A straight-up fair deal on Zak Zinter at the 107th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. The roster fit checks out.
Elijah Jones at the Round 4 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They went early on Mohamed Kamara in the 116th pick, and the value did not follow. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They reached into another round for Justin Eboigbe, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Isaac Guerendo. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
The board fumbled Brenden Rice all the way to pick 128, and they scooped it up. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Luke McCaffrey in pick 137 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Marist Liufau at Round 5, Pick 7 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They paid sticker price for Jared Wiley in the 157th overall pick, and that is fine. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jalyx Hunt in slot 180 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A cornerback of that caliber at pick No. 191 is the definition of value, full stop. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste at the Round 6 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.