B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Murphy fall into their laps, and walked away with a B+.
by Kenton ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
The Patriots ran the phones like sharks, prying loose value on deal after deal until the ledger was lopsided.
However the rest shakes out, Murphy at that price is a win they earned. Leaving interior defensive lineman unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. If McCarthy pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.
Adding Tutu Atwell by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 19th overall pick they get a difference-maker at receiver at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In Round 1, Pick 25 they get a cornerstone up front. A clean fit for the roster.
J.J. McCarthy at the Round 2 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. A need, and now a little less of one.
The board had Darius Robinson higher than pick No. 52, and the edge rusher fell to them anyway. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A tidy bit of business in No. 99, where Dominick Puni graded well above the range. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No drama and no debate, Jalen McMillan went about where he belonged in slot 103. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A market-rate tight end, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Theo Johnson. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Grayson Murphy at Round 6, Pick 5 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Value with a capital V on M.J. Devonshire in slot 193, a genuine coup. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A slide stopped in No. 231, with Michael Barrett worth more than the price. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.