B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots kept it disciplined and banked a B-.
by Wheels ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Patriots did exactly that with Bub Means in pick No. 229.
They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. The Wilson pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch.
They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Joe Alt. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
J.J. McCarthy in the 34th pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
By-the-book stuff, Xavier Legette at Round 3, Pick 4 squarely in line with his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They paid sticker price for Isaac Guerendo in No. 104, and that is fine. It fills a real need, too.
They let Johnny Wilson come to them and pounced at pick No. 136. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They liked Joe Milton III enough to skip the value, taking him in the 182nd overall pick. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Bub Means in the Round 7 slot is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.