B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots answered their biggest question with Daniels. Grade: B+.
by Jasonmroll14 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Jayden Daniels is the Patriots' quarterback, full stop. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B+.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. They are betting Jones proves the room right and everyone else wrong. On value alone, Speights makes the weekend a net positive.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 8 they get their guy under center for the next decade. A real need, handled.
No drama and no debate, Kamren Kinchens went about where he belonged in the 35th overall pick. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A straight-up fair deal on Patrick Paul at pick 43, value and slot in agreement. The roster fit checks out.
Ricky Pearsall in the Round 3 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Max Melton at the 103rd pick is a conviction pick that outran the value. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Ray Davis. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Ben Sinnott in pick No. 139 is fair value, right on his grade. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Ty'Ron Hopper at Round 5, Pick 12 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They paid sticker price for Isaiah Davis in pick 179, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid up for Christian Jones at slot 182 when waiting would have done the job. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No edge and no loss on AJ Barner in the Round 6 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A reach on Brevyn Spann-Ford in pick No. 209; the board had better options right there. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Omar Speights at Round 7, Pick 4 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
By-the-book stuff, Daequan Hardy at the 225th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They took Phil Jurkovec at par in No. 232, which is nothing to complain about. It fills a real need, too.