B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots left with their quarterback, and a B- to match.
by Brady ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Patriots spent their marquee pick on Drake Maye, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback.
They are betting Jibunor proves the room right and everyone else wrong. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped interior defensive lineman, which is a strange place to end up.
The Barton pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 3 they get the arm they will build around. A real need, handled.
Graham Barton is a better player than pick 34 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Devontez Walker at pick No. 68 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A straight-up fair deal on Matt Goncalves at No. 103, value and slot in agreement. The roster fit checks out.
A reach for Luke McCaffrey in the 137th overall pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jordan Travis at the 180th pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They went early on Jaylen Harrell in the Round 6 slot, and the value did not follow. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Richard Jibunor at slot 231 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. This was not a hole anyone had circled.