B
New England Patriots
Maye is the Patriots' new face under center. Grade: B.
by DaveDanc ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
Call it larceny. Dillon Johnson sat on the board until the 231st overall pick, and the Patriots did not need to be asked twice. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.
Everything downstream of Drake Maye depends on Drake Maye, and the building knows it. They are betting Wiley proves the room right and everyone else wrong.
Leaving interior defensive lineman unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the interior defensive lineman spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 6 they get a long-term answer under center. A real need, handled.
Nothing to complain about; Brian Thomas Jr. went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A quiet steal in the Round 2 slot: Amarius Mims for less than the market said. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Junior Colson in pick No. 69 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Mike Sainristil is a better player than the 83rd overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They took Roger Rosengarten at par in pick 136, which is nothing to complain about. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Somehow Johnny Wilson was still sitting there in slot 156, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A tidy little value on Jalyx Hunt in the 157th pick, a step better than break-even. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Jared Wiley in No. 166 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A top-tier running back at a bargain, Dillon Johnson in Round 7, Pick 11, plain and simple. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.