A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a A-.
by Brady ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 reaches
The Patriots spent the pick that matters most on Michael Penix Jr., and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape.
Schrader falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped interior defensive lineman, which is a strange place to end up.
The Harrell pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
It is a haul that will look even better come September.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 19 they get a franchise quarterback, and a steal at that.
No drama and no debate, Xavier Legette went about where he belonged in the 34th pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Malachi Corley in slot 49 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Patrick Paul in the 68th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jermaine Burton at No. 80 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A tidy little value on MarShawn Lloyd in pick 103, a step better than break-even. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Taking Matt Goncalves in the Round 5 slot is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. It fills a real need, too.
They let Xavier Thomas come to them and pounced at pick No. 180. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
The board had cheaper options than Jaylen Harrell at slot 193, and it noticed. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Cody Schrader in Round 7, Pick 11 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. The roster fit checks out.