A-
New England Patriots
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Patriots and Wingo: A-.
by Jasonmroll14 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 6 steals
· 3 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Mekhi Wingo, the No. 68 name on the board, stolen at pick 117. One of the weekend's best, top to bottom, and a A- to show for it.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. They will need Spann-Ford to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 8 of 8 of the wish list covered.
Bottom line, with Amarius Mims leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 19th pick they get protection for the quarterback at fair value.
Keon Coleman at pick 34 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Kool-Aid McKinstry at No. 43 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
By-the-book stuff, Patrick Paul at the 46th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They did well to land J.J. McCarthy in the Round 2 slot, just ahead of his grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
No edge and no loss on Ricky Pearsall in Round 3, Pick 4; it is a wash and a sensible one. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Tykee Smith in pick No. 103 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A premium they did not need to pay, Darius Robinson a notch or two before his time. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
You do not let an interior defensive lineman like Mekhi Wingo reach the Round 4 slot and blink. They did not. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jalyx Hunt slipping to Round 5, Pick 3 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. Hard to map this one onto the depth chart at all.
They paid a round early for AJ Barner in the 182nd pick, more than the board wanted. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They went early on Brevyn Spann-Ford in slot 209, and the value did not follow. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They read the board right and Sam Hartman was the payoff at pick 224. A need, and now a little less of one.
Taking Jase McClellan in pick No. 235 is close to grand larceny; a running back that good had no business lasting this long. The roster fit checks out.