Start where it matters. The Patriots took Caleb Williams to run the offense for the next decade, and every other decision this weekend bends around that one. Just about everything broke right, and the A follows.
If Milton III pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The McCaffrey pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want. The Jackson pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots.
Bottom line, with Caleb Williams leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.8
· Pick 8
· Caleb Williams
· QB
· rank 2
In the Round 1 slot they get their quarterback of the future. A real need, handled.
R1.11
· Pick 11
· Rome Odunze
· WR
· rank 9
In pick No. 11 they get a matchup problem out wide at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
R1.23
· Pick 23
· JC Latham
· OT
· rank 16
In the 23rd overall pick they get a cornerstone up front. A clean fit for the roster.
R2.2
· Pick 34
· Brian Thomas Jr.
· WR
· rank 26
Brian Thomas Jr. in the 34th pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R2.5
· Pick 37
· Nate Wiggins
· CB
· rank 21
They read the board right and Nate Wiggins was the payoff at Round 2, Pick 5. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R3.4
· Pick 68
· Payton Wilson
· LB
· rank 52
Payton Wilson is a better player than pick 68 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
R3.5
· Pick 69
· Kingsley Suamataia
· OT
· rank 56
They let Kingsley Suamataia come to them and pounced at slot 69. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R4.3
· Pick 103
· Xavier Legette
· WR
· rank 72
Xavier Legette at No. 103 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R4.5
· Pick 105
· Khyree Jackson
· CB
· rank 85
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Khyree Jackson at cornerback with edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots open.
R4.10
· Pick 110
· Will Shipley
· RB
· rank 109
They took Will Shipley at par in the 110th overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R5.1
· Pick 137
· Christian Jones
· OT
· rank 132
Christian Jones at pick 137 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R5.7
· Pick 143
· Johnny Wilson
· WR
· rank 126
A tidy bit of business in Round 5, Pick 7, where Johnny Wilson graded well above the range. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R5.31
· Pick 167
· Joe Milton III
· QB
· rank 200
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Joe Milton III. The roster fit checks out.
R6.5
· Pick 180
· Marist Liufau
· LB
· rank 165
Nice patience on Marist Liufau, who had no business lasting to No. 180. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
R6.6
· Pick 181
· Luke McCaffrey
· WR
· rank 149
They robbed the room for Luke McCaffrey here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R6.18
· Pick 193
· AJ Barner
· TE
· rank 172
You do not let a tight end like AJ Barner reach the Round 6 slot and blink. They did not. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R7.11
· Pick 231
· Tatum Bethune
· LB
· rank 228
A reasonable price with a little left over, Tatum Bethune in pick 231. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
