B
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Smith-Wade fall and pounced. Final grade: B.
by NE4EVER ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Chau Smith-Wade, the No. 133 name on the board, stolen at No. 182. They moved the roster forward and banked a B for it.
The cost of the Holker reach is exactly the players who went right after him. The interior defensive lineman hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
Edge rusher is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it. They came away with juice, if not much beef up front.
Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 3rd overall pick they get a matchup problem out wide. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Fair-plus on Bo Nix, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Adisa Isaac in No. 68 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Dominick Puni is a better player than slot 104 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Dallin Holker at pick No. 136 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Circle this one: Chau Smith-Wade at pick 182 is a fall that decides a draft. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A big swing on Ethan Driskell at the Round 7 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. The roster fit checks out.