A
New England Patriots
The Patriots drew a line under the quarterback search with Maye: A.
by NE4EVER ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 8 steals
· 0 reaches
Thirty-one other rooms let DJ James slide, and the Patriots were the ones holding the card at No. 193. Highway robbery.
Whatever Drake Maye becomes, the front office has tied its fortunes to the answer. The phones were where this weekend was really won. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.
In the end it comes back to Drake Maye, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a franchise quarterback. A real need, handled.
In No. 23 they get protection for the quarterback, outstanding value to boot. A clean fit for the roster.
JC Latham at Round 2, Pick 2 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They will replay Ladd McConkey at No. 68 for years; that is how good the value is. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Somehow Ja'Tavion Sanders was still sitting there in the 103rd overall pick, and they pounced on premier tight end value. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at the Round 5 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Renardo Green in slot 180, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
DJ James in pick 193 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
The board fumbled Jha'Quan Jackson all the way to pick No. 231, and they scooped it up. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.