C
New England Patriots
Maye is the plan now, and the Patriots grade out a C.
by Brady ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 2 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.
They lost the exchange badly enough to drag the whole class down. For all the activity, safety went untouched, which is hard to explain.
The cost of the Harrell reach is exactly the players who went right after him.
It grades out a shrug today, with plenty of room to move either way.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 5 they get the arm they will build around at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Ladd McConkey. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A straight-up fair deal on Patrick Paul at slot 67, value and slot in agreement. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
By-the-book stuff, Devontez Walker at pick No. 68 squarely in line with his ranking. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A premium they did not need to pay, Sataoa Laumea a notch or two before his time. It fills a real need, too.
Braelon Allen at the 110th pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They paid sticker price for Fabien Lovett in the Round 6 slot, and that is fine. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jaylen Harrell at No. 193 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Fair-plus on Tatum Bethune, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It adds depth where they could use a little.