B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B+.
by killerhz ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
The tape said wait; the Patriots did not. Jaheim Bell went at pick No. 72, a good 92 picks before the board was ready.
The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman.
That is an offensive lineman worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 10 they get a go-to option on the outside at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A clean, defensible pick in the Round 2 slot with a little surplus value in Kool-Aid McKinstry. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They read the board right and J.J. McCarthy was the payoff at pick 43. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
No drama and no debate, Kiran Amegadjie went about where he belonged in the 68th overall pick. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A real head-scratcher, Jaheim Bell in Round 3, Pick 8 is miles ahead of his ranking. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Justin Eboigbe well ahead of where he belonged. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
James Williams is a better player than Round 5, Pick 1 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They let Walter Rouse come to them and pounced at the 180th pick. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
By-the-book stuff, Tahj Washington at the Round 6 slot squarely in line with his ranking. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They reached a country mile for Frank Gore Jr. at pick 193, and the board is aghast. The roster fit checks out.
Sam Hartman at the 231st overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It patches a soft spot without any drama.