B
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Corley fall and pounced. Final grade: B.
by JScrillz ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
When a board-topper like Malachi Corley slides to the Round 5 slot, you do not overthink it, and the Patriots did not.
They will need Rattler to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. For all the activity, interior defensive lineman went untouched, which is hard to explain.
It is a bet on later, and a defensible one for a team playing the long game. Edge rusher is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the interior defensive lineman spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 3 they get a difference-maker at receiver at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
Spencer Rattler at the 68th pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid sticker price for Dominick Puni in pick 103, and that is fine. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Circle this one: Malachi Corley at slot 139 is a fall that decides a draft. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They read the board right and Zion Tupuola-Fetui was the payoff at Round 6, Pick 7. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jase McClellan at the 224th overall pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It fills a real need, too.
No drama and no debate, Trevor Keegan went about where he belonged in the Round 7 slot. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.