B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots left with their quarterback, and a B+ to match.
by creilly1293 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 1 steals
· 2 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Patriots spent their marquee pick on Jayden Daniels, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback. Call it a sensible B+, earned the boring way.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
They will need Thomas to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the interior defensive lineman spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 5 they get a franchise quarterback at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
In pick 27 they get a lockdown presence outside. More want than need.
Amarius Mims at the 34th pick is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. A need, and now a little less of one.
A straight-up fair deal on Xavier Worthy at Round 3, Pick 4, value and slot in agreement. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Blake Corum in the 90th overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. The roster fit checks out.
Brenden Rice at pick No. 103 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A reach for Cedric Gray in the Round 4 slot; a little patience would have been rewarded. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Ben Sinnott in slot 137. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Xavier Thomas at Round 5, Pick 11 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No drama and no debate, Delmar Glaze went about where he belonged in pick No. 193. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They did well to land Frank Gore Jr. in pick 231, just ahead of his grade. It fills a real need, too.