B
New England Patriots
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Patriots and Smith-Wade: B.
by NE4EVER ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 0 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Patriots watched Chau Smith-Wade slide 53 picks past his grade and did not hesitate. They moved the roster forward and banked a B for it.
For all the activity, interior defensive lineman went untouched, which is hard to explain. Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a home-run threat at receiver at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Bo Nix in slot 34 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
No drama and no debate, Kiran Amegadjie went about where he belonged in the 68th overall pick. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A slide stopped in Round 4, Pick 3, with Gabriel Murphy worth more than the price. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Ben Sinnott at pick No. 137 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. The roster fit checks out.
The board fumbled Chau Smith-Wade all the way to No. 180, and they scooped it up. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They let Jha'Quan Jackson come to them and pounced at the 193rd pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They took Donovan Jennings at par in pick 231, which is nothing to complain about. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.