A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a A-.
by JonnyGN ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
Start where it matters. The Patriots took J.J. McCarthy to run the offense for the next decade, and every other decision this weekend bends around that one.
They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. McCarthy has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Jackson falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch.
In the end it comes back to J.J. McCarthy, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 18th overall pick they get a passer to set the clock by, a steep price for the projection.
No drama and no debate, Ladd McConkey went about where he belonged in slot 34. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They took Patrick Paul at par in pick No. 69, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A cornerback of that caliber at No. 102 is the definition of value, full stop. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on MarShawn Lloyd. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
No edge and no loss on Sataoa Laumea in pick 116; it is a wash and a sensible one. A need, and now a little less of one.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jamari Thrash in the 136th pick. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, AJ Barner well ahead of where he belonged. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jared Wiley in pick No. 182 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid sticker price for Tayvion Robinson in pick 229, and that is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.