B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots bet the future on Maye. The board says B-.
by Poop McGhee ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
The Patriots spent the pick that matters most on Drake Maye, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
That is a wide receiver worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. Reaching for Gore Jr. left real value on the table behind him. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 3 they get a long-term answer under center. A real need, handled.
By-the-book stuff, Jordan Morgan at Round 2, Pick 2 squarely in line with his ranking. It fills a real need, too.
Good price on Zach Frazier in the 68th pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Cedric Gray in the 103rd overall pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A quiet steal in the Round 5 slot: Johnny Wilson for less than the market said. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Malik Mustapha slipping to pick 180 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Frank Gore Jr. at No. 193 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Tahj Washington at slot 231 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.