B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B+.
by BobbySwizz ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Patriots reached some 65 spots for Bub Means, and value like that does not grow back. More right than wrong, and a B+ to match.
Landing Bishop that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. The Jones pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
They took Olumuyiwa Fashanu at par in pick No. 6, which is nothing to complain about. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Nothing to complain about; Adonai Mitchell went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Jackson Powers-Johnson at the 58th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A wild overpay on Spencer Rattler in the 66th pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A need, and now a little less of one.
Patrick Paul in the Round 3 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It fills a real need, too.
Khyree Jackson at No. 90 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Theo Johnson well ahead of where he belonged. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They bypassed pressing needs at edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots to take Elijah Jones, a cornerback that was not the priority.
Cole Bishop at pick 137 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A big swing on Bub Means at slot 180, well ahead of any board in the building. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Garret Greenfield at the Round 6 slot is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
No drama and no debate, Tylan Grable went about where he belonged in the 231st overall pick. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jalen Coker. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.