B+
New England Patriots
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Patriots: B+.
by PatrickSiska ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
You can hear the double-takes from here. The Patriots took Xavier Thomas at No. 232, roughly 23 spots before his name belonged. No fireworks, but a solid B+.
A whole weekend of picks and interior defensive lineman is somehow still a want. They banked enough surplus on Nix to cover a lot of smaller sins.
The Marcus Epps pickup adds a known quantity to a class of unknowns.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
Brock Bowers at slot 13 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Nice patience on Bo Nix, who had no business lasting to the 34th pick. It fills a real need, too.
Fair-plus on Tyler Guyton, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Brenden Rice in pick 68 is fair value, right on his grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Blake Fisher in pick No. 103 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Jalyx Hunt at the 139th overall pick is money in the bank, a S-EDGE taken below his worth. It fits a board better than it fits this team.
By-the-book stuff, Isaiah Davis at the 182nd pick squarely in line with his ranking. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A straight-up fair deal on Daequan Hardy at the Round 7 slot, value and slot in agreement. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They talked themselves into Xavier Thomas at No. 232, and the board did not agree. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.