D-
New England Patriots
The Patriots bet the future on Daniels. The board says D-.
by Phaktz ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
Some picks age like wine; Anim Dankwah at slot 248 will need to, sitting 30 spots clear of his grade.
Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. They have staked the next five years on Jayden Daniels, which is the only story that really matters here. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Cowing.
Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, edge rusher very much included.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 3 they get a passer to set the clock by. A real need, handled.
Fair-plus on Adonai Mitchell, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Cooper Beebe in No. 56. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They jumped the gun on Patrick Paul, taking him earlier than his grade liked. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Kamren Kinchens in pick 67 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
By-the-book stuff, Jaylen Wright at slot 68 squarely in line with his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Value with a capital V on Khyree Jackson in slot 103, a genuine coup. A minor itch, scratched.
A tidy little value on James Williams in Round 4, Pick 28, a step better than break-even. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Jacob Cowing in No. 165 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
You do not let a tight end like AJ Barner reach pick No. 189 and blink. They did not. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They liked Bub Means enough to skip the value, taking him in the 231st pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They talked themselves into Anim Dankwah at the 248th overall pick, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.